ytfAavnani^ 


DISCOURSES, 

ARGUMENTATIVE    A  N  D    D  E  V  OT  I  ON  A  L, 


ON   THE   SUBJECT   OF 


THE   JEWISH   RELIGION. 

"DELIVERED  CHIEFLY 

AT  THE  SYNAGOGUE  MIKVEH  ISRAEL,  IN  PHILADELPHIA, 
IN  THE  YEARS  5598—5601, 

BY 

ISAAC  LEESER, 

MINISTER   OF   THE    ABOVE   CONGREGATION. 


:  yv  }"¥i2'  uroazi  vxi  'n  oxa  'im  HD  NiSn 
:  'CD  'jo  'DT 

"  Behold !  thus  is  my  word,  says  the  Lord,  like  the  fire,  and  like  the 
hammer  that  shivereth  the  rock."  JEREMIAH  xxiii.  29. 


SECOND    SERIES, 

OR 

VOL.  III. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PUBLISHED  AT  1  MONROE  PLACE,  LOCUST  STREET. 

PRINTED  BY  C.  SHERMAN  AND  CO. 

5601. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  on  the  12th  January,  in  the  year 
1841,  by  ISAAC  LEESER,  in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  III. 


DISCOURSES  PAGES 

I.  Call  to  Repentance  .....          1 

II.  The  Redemption  of  Israel         ....  12 

III.  The  Mission  of  the  Prophets          ....        23 

IV.  Religious  Education  and  Repentance     ...  34 
V.  Obedience  to  the  Law        .            .            .            .            .45 

VI.  The  Resignation  of  Aaron  ....  54 

VII.  The  Uncertainty  of  Life  .....  69 

VIII.  The  Revelation  on  Sinai  ....  85 

IX.    Religious  Union     ......  98 

X.  The  Sorrows  of  Israel  .  .  .  .•.  109 

XL    The  Requirements  of  the  Law      ....  122 

XII.    The  Duty  of  Contentment       .            .            .            .  137 

XIII.  The  Way  of  Life     .  '"    .           .           .  -         .            .  149 

XIV.  Salvation  through  Repentance             .            .            .  162 
XV.    The  Covenant  of  Abraham            ,    '        .            .         '  .  176 

XVI.  Religious  Education,  1.           .  ...            .€        188 

XVII.  Religious  Education,  2.     .  .      201 

XVIII.  Religious  Education,  3.       ^  .  «.          .            .            215 

XIX.  Motives  of  Charity            .          ..  >  ,           ._           ,      234 

XX.  Funeral  Address          .            .  .   '         .            243 

XXI.  Persecution  of  the  Jews  .            .  .            .            .248 

XXII.  Prayer  at  the  S.  S.  Examination,  1.  .            .            .            261 

XXIII.  Prayer  at  the  S.  S.  Examination,  2.  .            .265 


PREFACE. 


THE  kind  reception  which  has  been  extended  to  my  first  series  of 
Discourses,  published  four  years  ago,  and  the  frequent  inquiries  for  a 
continuation  of  the  same,  have  emboldened  me  to  appear  again  before 
the  public  with  this  new  claimant  of  their  favour. — The  present  col- 
lection is  rather  less  than  a  half  of  the  former ;  since  various  inter- 
ruptions, which  I  need  not  enumerate,  independently  of  the  shorter 
period  during  which  they  were  delivered,  prevented  me  from  speaking 
as  often  as  I  might  have  wished.  It  is  truly  to  be  regretted  that  so 
far  public  addresses  on  religious  topics  have  constituted  but  a  small 
portion  of  our  devotional  exercises  in  all  the  countries  where  the 
English  is  spoken  ;  and  I  believe  that  it  may  be  said  without  any 
vanity  on  my  part,  that  in  our  Synagogue  was  the  first  attempt  made 
for  about  ten  years  past  to  give  religious  instruction  in  lectures.  It 
can  easily  be  imagined  that  there  are  many  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
a  successful  pursuit  of  the  calling  of  a  public  teacher  among  our 
people  in  this  country,  owing  chiefly  to  the  fact,  that  we  are  com- 
posed of  persons  from  every  European  nation,  and  that  therefore  to 
many  the  English  language  is  partly  unintelligible,  especially  as  in 
an  oration  the  ideas  cannot  be  always  conveyed  in  very  simple 
language,  without  divesting  the  subject  of  all  dignity.  Still  much 
might  be  done  in  furtherance  of  the  introduction  and  support  of 
teaching  by  lectures,  if  those  sufficiently  well  acquainted  with  the 
vernacular  tongue  of  England  and  America  would  lend  their  coun- 
tenance, and  elect  either  ministers  capable  of  speaking  no  less  than 
reading  after  the  accepted  mode,  or  appoint  public  lecturers  in 
addition  to  the  usual  officers  of  the  Synagogue.  No  doubt  the  latter 
method  would  be  more  in  accordance  with  the  public  wants ;  because 
the  Reader  proper  has  to  perform  duties  sufficiently  laborious  without 
having  to  preach  when  the  usual  service  is  finished,  or  during  the 
same.  Besides  this,  it  is  not  likely  that,  generally  speaking,  there 


VJii  PREFACE. 

will  be  found  many  capable  of  officiating  with  equal  ability  in  both 
capacities,  of  Preachers  and  Readers  ;  especially  as  the  requisite 
qualities  for  both  stations  have  little  in  common  beyond  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Hebrew  language ;  since  our  worship  is  altogether  in 
this  tongue,  and  no  one  can  be  competent  to  expound  the  Text 
correctly  without  being,  to  say  the  least,  moderately  well  versed  in 
the  original  dialect  of  the  Bible. — But  there  are  two  difficulties  in  the 
way ;  I  mean  the  smallness  of  our  congregations,  and  their  limited 
means,  greatly  opposed  to  carrying  out  this  plan,  even  if  competent 
preachers  could  be  found,  which  is  not  the  case  now,  except  in  very 
small  numbers,  owing  to  there  being  no  schools  of  our  own  on  a 
liberal  scale,  either  in  England  or  America.  Hence  the  whole  num- 
ber of  preachers  as  far  as  known  to  me  among  the  Jews  speaking 
English  is  but  four ;  to  wit :  Mr.  David  Isaacs  of  Liverpool  and 
Manchester,  England ;  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Isaacs  of  the  Congregation 
Benai  Yeshurun,  New  York  ;  Mr.  Moses  N.  Nathan  of  the  German 
Congregation,  Kingston,  Jamaica,  and  myself.  It  is  true  that  occa- 
sionally lectures  were  delivered  before  the  above  commenced  the 
calling  of  public  teachers  and  since,  by  the  late  Rev.  Gershom  M. 
Seixas  of  New  York,  the  late  Rev.  Emanuel  N.  Carvalho  of  Philada., 
Rev.  A.  H.  Cohen  of  Richmond,  Dr.  Jacob  De  La  Motta  of  Charles- 
ton, and  several  other  ministers,  besides  occasional  volunteer  lectures 
from  laymen,  (if  such  a  word  can  be  with  propriety  used  among 
Israelites ;)  but  no  appointment  was  ever  made  with  a  view  to  ser- 
mons except  in  the  case  of  the  Messrs.  Isaacs,  since  Mr.  Nathan  and 
myself  were  only  elected  as  Readers,  and  our  speaking  has  therefore 
been  a  voluntary  matter.  The  general  wish,  however,  which  has 
been  expressed  by  many  congregations  to  have  sermons  delivered  in 
their  Synagogues,  chiefly  at  Charleston  and  St.  Thomas,  and  the 
Portuguese  Congregations  of  London  and  Jamaica,  will  no  doubt 
lead  ultimately  to  capable  persons  being  appointed  as  teachers  of  the 
Word,  and  may  induce  several  intelligent  young  men  to  qualify 
themselves  for  the  ministry  by  careful  preparation.  The  great  evil 
hitherto  prevailing  has  been  that  literary  attainments  have  not  been 
expected  of  our  Readers ;  but  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  either  additional 
officers  will  be  appointed,  or  that  those  only  will  be  selected  who,  in 
addition  to  a  good  voice  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  liturgy,  have 
sufficient  capacity  to  speak  to  their  brethren  if  occasion  requires. 
There  is  however  in  the  usual  management  of  the  Synagogue  some- 
thing inconsistent  with  the  appointment  of  men  of  endowment  to  the 
station  of  minister,  inasmuch  as  the  temporal  rulers  have  too  much 


PREFACE.  jx 

\ 

direct  interference  with  the  Hazan  in  every  public  act  in  which  he 
can  engage.  Now  it  is  all  well  and  proper  to  leave  the  management 
of  every  temporal  concern  in  the  hands  of  the  President  and  his 
assistants ;  but  the  minister  should  not  be  in  the  discharge  of  his 
proper  duties  altogether  subservient  to  the  temporal  managers,  who 
ought  to  confine  themselves  strictly  to  their  branch  of  duty,  and 
leave  the  public  worship  in  the  proper  hands  of  those  elevated  to 
conduct  it.  It  is  in  the  nature  of  man  to  desire  freedom  of 
action;  and  the  same  feeling  therefore  which  renders  us  restive 
under  political  subjection,  will  also  create  an  uneasiness,  far  from 
promoting  harmony,  in  the  minds  of  ministers  of  religion  if  they 
are  rendered  subservient  to  persons  who  evidently  cannot  be  more 
religious  and  better  informed  than  they  are  themselves. — No  doubt 
this  evil  originated  in  former  years  in  the  large  congregations  of 
Europe,  who  were  always  provided  with  Rabbins  and  teachers  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  require  of  the  Reader  nothing  more  than  certain 
duties  in  the  Synagogue,  for  which  the  chief  requisites  were,  besides 
a  correct  moral  and  religious  conduct,  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
accepted  tunes  and  the  manner  of  performing  the  service,  and  these 
qualities  very  often  constituted  the  whole  of  the  qualifications 
demanded  or  desired.  But  the  times  have  changed ;  and  in  America 
and  England  up  to  this  moment  there  is  not  more  than  one  Rabbi 
who  can  preach  in  English,  the  others  being  Germans,  and  those 
who  are  in  this  country  came  among  us  but  recently  ;  consequently 
it  seems  but  reasonable  to  extend  to  the  Readers  some  more  con- 
sideration than  they  now  enjoy,  if  the  public  expect  duties  from 
them,  which  their  predecessors  did  not  or  could  not  accomplish.  For 
as  it  is  now,  few  indeed  will  be  found,  who  have  minds  of  sufficient 
capacity  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  sciences  and  languages  to  qualify 
themselves  for  the  station  of  Reader  and  Lecturer,  when  they  see 
that  the  pursuit  of  the  legal  and  medical  professions  give  them  so 
much  more  ease,  influence,  and  importance  in  society.  It  may  be 
said,  that  persons  should  bring  into  the  ministry  a  devotion  to  this 
noble  calling,  which  will  rise  above  the  annoyances  and  deprivations 
of  life*  yet  this  is  all  well  enough  when  the  mind  has  once  reached 
this  elevation  of  piety  by  a  long  train  of  reflection  and  a  long  course 
of  virtuous  actions ;  but  it  cannot  be  expected  that  young  men  will 
qualify  themselves  for  a  station  which  is  fraught  with  annoyance  and 
deprivation,  when  the  same  labour  otherwise  directed  will  have  very 
different  results.  And  surely  it  is  the  interest  of  all  those  feeling 
sincerely  the  holiness  of  our  faith,  to  make  it  by  their  acts  better 


x  PREFACE. 

understood  and  more  loved,  or,  in  other  words,  to  be  the  means  of 
inducing  those  endowed  with  high  intellect  to  step  forward  to  assume 
with  pleasure  and  an  animated  ardour  the  responsible  office  of 
teacher  of  that  blessed  religion  which  is  our  own  inheritance,  and 
our  heavenly  patrimony  from  ages  which  reach  to  the  verge  of 
civilization. 

In  Germany,  principally  I  believe  in  the  larger  cities,  for  instance 
Hamburg,  Berlin,  Glogau,  Prague,  Frankford,  Munich,  and  no  doubt 
other  places,  Rabbins  and  lecturers  have  been  appointed  chiefly  with 
the  view  of  delivering  weekly  or  occasional  sermons ;  and  of  these, 
the  fame  of  Bernays,  Salomon,  Kley,  Plessner,  Sachs,  and  others 
has  reached  us  even  at  this  distance;  and  lately  Miss  Goldsmith  of 
London  has  rendered  a  service  to  our  literature  by  rendering  twelve 
sermons  of  Dr.  Salomon  into  English,  although  it  must  be  remarked 
that  occasionally  this  learned  preacher  endeavours  to  force  his  own 
peculiar  views  rather  too  glaringly  upon  our  attention.  But  it  is  to 
be  expected,  that,  as  with  every  thing  else,  there  will  be  a  difference 
of  opinion  among  the  honestly  thinking  in  matters  of  religion  like- 
wise, the  more  so  since  of  late  certain  persons  calling  themselves 
reformers  have  endeavoured  to  introduce  changes  in  our  mode  of 
worship.  Now  Dr.  S.  is  the  principal  organ  of  this  portion,  a  small 
one  indeed  thus  far,  and  hence  we  cannot  be  surprised  that  we  cannot 
always  approve  altogether  of  his  ideas  or  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  represented  to  us ;  though  to  do  him  justice  his  style  is  very 
beautiful  and  fascinating,  and  his  advice  generally  wholesome  and 
pious.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  as  yet  the  works  of  our  other 
preachers  have  not  obtained  currency  among  the  English-speaking 
Jews ;  still  we  may  indulge  the  hope  that  by  degrees  such  a  taste 
may  be  awakened  among  them,  that  they  will  desire  to  possess  these 
books,  when  the  demand  will  no  doubt  be  answered  by  some  one 
capable  of  executing  the  task. 

Whether  preaching  has  been  extensively  introduced  in  the  other 
European  countries,  I  am  not  able  to  tell,  not  having  any  means  at 
hand  to  answer  the  inquiry  satisfactorily.  But  there  is  no  doubt  that 
a  general  desire  for  information  has  been  awakened,  and  that  in  many 
places  persons  adequate  for  the  labour  have  been  summoned  to  extend 
a  knowledge  of  religion  among  us.  It  is  therefore  also  gratifying  to 
announce,  that  latterly  the  Congregation  at  Baltimore  and  the  German 
Congregation  of  this  city  have  appointed  public  teachers  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  diffusing  instruction.  But  as  both  congregations  are 
mostly  composed  of  Germans,  and  as  the  gentlemen  elected  are  not 


PREFACE.  x{ 

yet  acquainted  with  the  English  :  the  speaking  is  necessarily  done 
in  German,  and  hence  it  becomes  in  the  first  instance  useful  to  a 
section  only  of  our  people  residing  in  this  country.  Nevertheless  it 
is  a  source  of  congratulation  to  see  the  increased  demand  for 
religious  knowledge,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  good  spirit  may 
not  alone  be  permanent,  but  become  extended  to  other  places  which 
are  yet  unsupplied  with  proper  teachers. — Thus  much  may  be  said, 
that,  although  some  may  not  at  present  perceive  the  use  and  import- 
ance of  an  addition  to  our  service,  which  is  at  times  somewhat  long : 
the  usefulness  of  sermons  will  nevertheless  at  length  be  generally 
acknowledged  so  soon  as  a  perseverance  therein  shall  have  demon- 
strated that  thereby  much  information  has  been  diffused,  which  must 
necessarily  be  the  case,  if  the  preachers  or  ministers  are  properly 
acquainted  with  their  duties  and  alive  to  the  wants  of  the  people. 

Upon  the  whole,  however,  the  English  and  American  Jews  owe  it 
to  themselves  to  do  something  for  the  spread  of  religion,  by  establish- 
ing schools  for  general  and  religious  education,  whence  ultimately 
they  may  derive  proper  persons  to  become  ministers  and  readers. 
For  no  matter  how  much  learning  may  be  diffused  in  Germany 
and  elsewhere,  experience  has  proved  that  learned  men  even 
coming  from  there  are  little  qualified,  except  by  a  long  and  painful 
course  of  study,  and  then  only  in  a  defective  manner  after  all,  to 
become  good  pulpit  orators.  It  is  one  thing  to  learn  to  read  and 
write  a  foreign  language,  but  something  very  different  to  acquire  a 
facility  for  expressing  one's  ideas  with  propriety  and  ease,  which  is 
so  highly  necessary  in  the  composition  of  sermons. — And  if  the 
ministry  should  then  be  sought  by  those  whom  the  people  know  and 
esteem,  and  who  are  of  their  own  friends  and  kindred  :  the  standard 
of  respectability  of  a  Jewish  Reader  would  be  raised,  and  his  station 
carry  also  with  it  more  weight,  than  it  now  does  when  the  congre- 
gations are  compelled  to  elect  entire  strangers  to  the  highest  honour  in 
their  gift  as  Jews,  as  they  but  rarely  find  native  citizens  qualified  for 
the  station  in  any  manner  whatever. 

Not  many  years  back  such  an  advice  would  have  been  useless, 
owing  to  the  then  small  number  of  Israelites  in  this  country.  But 
they  are  daily  increasing,  by  immigration  from  the  crowded  districts 
of  Europe  ;  and  although  the  newcomers  are  themselves  unacquainted 
with  the  English,  still  their  children  will  understand  in  all  likelihood 
no  other  language  ;  hence  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  wants  of 
the  rising  and  coming  generations. — All  that  is  wanted  is,  union,  con- 
cert, and  harmony ;  and  though  our  beginning  may  be  small,  our 
end  will  still  be  very  great. 


Xll 


PREFACE. 


As  regards  the  present  publication  I  have  to  remark,  that  it  is,  like 
its  predecessor,  the  sincere  effusion  of  my  heart  and  conviction ; 
there  is  but  little  of  artificial  structure  or  a  careful  choice  of  words, 
although  I  have  always  endeavoured  to  keep  close  to  the  standard  of 
Scripture  as  understood  by  us.  Whoever  expects  to  find  evidences 
of  deep  learning  in  these  discourses  will  surely  be  disappointed ; 
since  I  can  advance  no  claim  to  any  extensive  knowledge,  and  if  I 
could,  I  would  think  a  sermon  not  the  vehicle  for  conveying  it  to  the 
public,  believing,  as  I  do,  that  a  religious  lecture  should  be  so  simply 
constructed  as  to  be  intelligible,  for  the  greater  part  at  least,  to  the 
humblest  capacity.  The  preacher  ought  to  seek  to  enlist  the  feeling 
and  judgment  of  his  audience,  but  not  to  astonish  them  by  the  dis- 
play of  his  own  depth  of  information,  by  which  he  would  clearly 
strive  to  glorify  himself,  without  doing  the  least  towards  extending 
the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  over  the  hearts  of  the  flock  intrusted  to  his 
care. 

I  cannot  conclude  these  remarks  without  returning  my  sincere 
thanks  to  my  friends  at  home  and  abroad  who  have  so  kindly,  and 
in  many  cases  without  any  solicitation,  recommended  and  circulated 
my  works,  especially  the  first  series  of  Discourses.  This  was  an 
act  of  kindness  I  had  no  right  to  expect,  and  could  only  proceed 
from  a  belief  that  some  little  good  might  be  derived  from  my  labours. 
It  would  indeed  be  a  source  of  high  enjoyment  to  one  whose  days 
•have  not  been  free  from  sorrow  and  trial  to  be  able  to  believe,  that 
his  striving  has  been  of  some  use,  if  even  it  be  only  to  arouse  his 
brothers  in  faith  to  step  forward  unto  the  holy  work,  and  to  labour 
with  more  success  and  prosperity,  though  hardly  with  more  honest 
zeal  than  their  friend, 

I.  L. 


TH,-I  A  i  k-    CTebeth,  18th,  5601. 
PhlladelPhia'i  January  llth,  1841. 


DISCOURSES, 

i 

ARGUMENTATIVE    AND    DEVOTIONAL, 

ON  THE 

JEWISH     RELIGION. 


DISCOURSE  I. 

CALL    TO   REPENTANCE. 

GOD  of  truth,  in  whom  there  is  no  injustice !  we  have  sinned 
before  Thee ;  how  oft  transgressed  thy  precepts,  and  departed 
from  thy  righteous  commandments.  The  measure  of  our  iniqui- 
ties has  been  filling  up  ever  since  we  came  on  earth ;  and  not 
alone  that  we  have  erred  ourselv'es,  but  our  example  too  has  led 
others  to  stray  far  away  from  the  road  of  salvation.  Rebellious, 
frovvard,  and  perverse,  we  have  disregarded  the  eternal  welfare 
of  our  immortal  souls,  and  have  dared  thy  vengeance,  O  Creator 
of  all  flesh !  by  obeying  impulses  to  sin  the  end  of  which  is 
perdition  and  thy  just  indignation.  But,  Father,  King,  Saviour  ! 
look  on  our  forlorn  state ;  degraded  by  our  sin,  dispersed  by  our 
transgression,  captives  by  our  rebellion  !  Have  mercy,  we  pray 
Thee,  for  thy  own  sake,  if  not  for  ours;  display  thy  power  over  us, 
not  for  the  sake  of  our  merit,  but  because  of  thy  great  an*d  holy 
name,  that  is  profaned  among  the  nations  !  for  why  should  the 
gentiles  say,  "  Where  now  is  their  God  ?"  For  we  know  Thee 
to  be  the  omnipresent,  ever  wakeful  Ruler  from  whom  nothing 
is  hidden,  as  Thou  hast  said  through  thy  prophet,  "Were  a  man 
to  hide  himself  in  secret,  should  I  not  see  him  ?"  Teach  then  to 
the  children  of  man,  that  the  descendants  of  thy  servants  yet 

VOL.  III. — 1 


2  CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 

receive  thy  especial  providence,  though  fallen  by  their  sins ! 
Guide  us  unto  thy  service,  enlighten  our  souls  by  thy  know- 
ledge, and  remove  from  us  the  heart  of  stone,  in  order  that  we 
may  serve  Thee,  O  Almighty  One !  with  a  willing  spirit  in  sub- 
missiveness  and  truth.  Let  it  also  be  heard  proclaimed  from 
before  the  seat  of  thy  mysterious  presence,  when  the  gates  of  thy 
judgment-seat  are  closed,  that  the  sins  of  thy  people  have  been 
forgiven,  and  that  their  transgression  has  been  pardoned,  and 
that  their  backsliding  has  been  cured  by  thy  mercy.  May  this 
be  thy  will,  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 

The  recurrence  of  the  season  of  repentance  has  called  us 
again  to  the  house  of  our  Father,  to  offer  up  in  his  presence  the 
sacrifice  of  a  contrite  heart.  For  disguise  it  as  we  may,  it  must 
be  acknowledged  that  the  names  of  Rosh  Hashanah  and  Kippur, 
awaken  in  the  mind  of  an  Israelite  ideas  of  devotion  and  a  re- 
newal of  a  resolution  to  become  reconciled  to  Him  above  whom 
by  our  misdeeds  we  have  haply  offended.  Be  it  admitted  that 
this  is  owing  to  our  system  of  education,  nurtured  by  early  in- 
struction, encouraged  by  example,  and  perad venture  fostered  by 
the  fear  of  punishment.  Admit  it  to  be  so ;  yet  we  say,  Blessed 
be  that  system,  honoured  be  that  early  instruction,  welcome  be 
that  example,  aye,  thrice  blessed  be  that  fear  which  tend  to 
draw  closer  the  bonds  which  unite  man  to  his  Maker,  which,  so 
to  say,  remove  the  barriers  which  stand  between  us  and  our 
happiness. — For,  what  is  it  that  is  to  be  effected  by  this  exhibi- 
tion of  devotional  feelings  ?  is  the  greatness  of  any  one  man  or 
sect  of  men  to  be  promoted  thereby  1  or  is  the  wealth  of  a  class 
of  priests  to  be  augmented?  will  it  bring  power  to  the  teachers 
even  of  religion  1  None  of  these  can  surely  be  the  result,  as  in 
our  present  state  the  influence  of  religious  superiors  is  but  little 
heeded  and  can,  from  a  combination  of  circumstances,  not  be 
very  extensively  exercised;  on  the  contrary,  whatever  is  done 
for  the  extension  of  religious  feelings  is  solely  beneficial  to  the 
community  at  large,  because  every  participant  is  thus  rendered 
a  more  worthy,  more  intelligent,  and  more  happy  member  of 
the  community,  than  he  could  otherwise  be.  For  name  not  the 
delusive  dictates  of  a  worldly  philosophy,  that  would  inculcate 


CALL  TO  REPENTANCE.  3 

honesty  from  mere  prudential  motives ;  such  motives  will  not 
stand  the  test  of  temptation,  they  will  yield  to  the  influence  of 
interest  whenever  this  loudly  calls.  Name  not  love  of  honour ! 
Ambitious  men  seek  elevation  whenever  the  opportunity  offers, 
regardless  of  the  means  which  lead  to  their  desired  end.  'Wisdom 
also  and  learning  in  worldly  things  are  not  safeguards  against 
temptation,  for  the  wise  are  not  always  wise,  nor  are  the  learned 
always  prudent  No ;  neither  prudential  philosophy,  nor  ambi- 
tion, nor  wisdom,  norwordly  learning,  will  save  you  from  doing 
the  wrong ;  but  only  the  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  our  heavenly 
King ;  for  this  will  guide  you  ever  aright,  and  in  acting  ac- 
cordingly you  need  never  fear  of  injuring  yourselves  or  others. 
When  then  I  see  a  multitude  enter  these  walls,  when  I  hear,  as 
I  have  heard,  a  unanimous  shout  of  praise  ascend  from  the 
mouths  of  hundreds  of  believers  to  the  great  Eternal's  throne,  I 
feel  a  wish  that  thus  might  ever  be  their  desire  to  serve  Him  whom 
their  words  declare  their  God,  for  thus  would  it  be  well  with  them 
and  their  children  for  ever.  But  alas !  we  leave  the  house  of  God, 
the  Day  of  Atonement  is  past,  and  yet  rings  in  our  ear  the 
shout,  "  The  Lord  he  is  God !"  the  voice  of  the  cornet  yet 
vibrates  within  us :  when  we  forget  that  we  have  been  actors  in 
a  holy  scene,  witnesses  of  a  sacred  work,  listeners  to  the  word 
of  truth ;  we  enter  anew  into  the  deceitful  press  of  worldly  en- 
gagements, forget  the  Rock  who  has  formed  us,  mindful  only 
of  augmenting  our  wealth  and  increasing  our  importance  in  the 
eyes  of  men.  It  is  sickening  to  reflect  that  so  much  devotion 
as  is  at  times  suddenly  seen  to  flash  up,  as  does  the  light  of 
some  dim  lamp  when  a  sudden  change  of  wind  causes  the  flame 
to  shoot  upward,  should  sink  down  again  into  dimness  when  the 
exciting  cause  is  past.  Happy  indeed  it  is,  that  the  wind  of  the 
passions  cannot  extinguish  the  sacred  flame,  or  else  we  should 
be  left  in  total  mental  darkness,  like  the  traveller  in  a  swampy 
desert  whose  taper  expires  beneath  the  gust  of  air  which  he  fain 
welcomed  as  cooling  his  fevered  forehead,  burning  under  the 
agony  of  weary  exertions.  Yes,  it  is  melancholy  in  the  extreme 
to  be  conscious  that  so  many  Days  of  Pardoning  of  Iniquity  have 
recurred,  and  yet  the  worshippers  then  assembled  did  not  remain 
permanently  united  to  their  God,  whose  forgiveness  they  invoked 
with  apparent  sincerity !  Does  any  one  think  it  enough  to  wor- 


4  CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 

ship  once  a  year  ?  Have  we  not  the  ordinance  of  the  seventh 
day  as  a  perpetual  covenant  between  God  and  the  children  of 
Israel  ?  why  is  this  not  also  observed  ?  Ha  !  is  it  interest,  the 
desire  for  wealth  that  counsels  us  ?  But  wo !  wo !  that  gold 
should  tempt  us  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  a  tranquil  mind  and  a 
peaceful  soul  rejoicing  in  her  attachment  to  God !  Wealth  !  O 
how  fleeting  its  blessings !  how  deceptive  its  hope  !  Religion ! 
O  how  everlasting  in  its  blessings,  how  sure  the  hopes  it  in- 
spires. 

Yes,  this  land  was  blessed,  is  blessed.  Fruitful  are  its  fields, 
extensive  are  its  forests ;  through  untrodden  regions  extend  its 
majestic  thousand  rivers;  its  sea-shore  is  crowded  with  the  com- 
merce of  the  world ;  its  sails  whiten  every  ocean ;  through  its 
numerous  towns  resound  the  shouts  of  merriment ;  the  people 
are  secured  against  oppression,  if  they  but  preserve  the  spirit  of 
their  laws;  peace  maybe  said  to  dwell  in  the  boundaries  thereof, 
and  each  man  may  sit  under  the  shade  of  his  fruit-tree  with 
none  to  make  him  afraid.  If  ever  prosperity  seemed  to  have 
taken  up  her  abode  in  any  land,  this  might  have  been  pointed 
out  to  the  inquiring  sage ;  since  all  the  elements  of  contentment 
were  so  profusely  scattered  abroad.  But  lo !  the  avarice  of  man 
has  destroyed  much  of  the  good  we  once  saw,  and  the  hammer  of 
the  artizan  has  been  arrested  in  the  midst  of  plenty  and  peace; 
the  weaver's  loom  stands  idle,  and  even  the  press,  the  supplier  of 
intellectual  repasts,  is  almost  paralyzed  in  an  age  boasting  of 
knowledge  and  refinement.  It  is  not  for  us  to  enter  deeply  in 
the  causes  of  this  spectacle ;  enough  it  is  so ;  and  does  it  not 
teach  us,  in  a  language  not  to  be  misunderstood,  that  worldly 
pursuits  will  not  always  secure  the  object  desired  ?  and  that  im- 
moderate possessions  fail  to  promote  contentment? 

Yet  there  is  a  turn  in  the  tide  of  prosperity,  as  well  as  of  wo, 
and  when  greatness  is  at  its  height,  it  suddenly  changes  to  de- 
gradation, shame  and  ruin.  Need  we  cite  examples  ?  History 
teaches  us  of  great  conquerors,  overthrown  on  the  day  of  tri- 
umph; and  experience  has  informed  us,  that  wealth,  when 
seemingly  the  strongest,  secured  almost  beyond  the  reach  of 
casualties,  is  then  nearest  utter  prostration,  and  we  may  almost 
say  penury.  The  occurrences  of  the  last  few  months  have 
amply  confirmed  this,  and  also  that  success  or  failure  in  our 


CALL  TO  REPENTANCE.  5 

enterprizes  are  from  a  Source  higher,  greater,  holier  than 
human  power  or  human  wisdom  ;  and  that  person  indeed  must 
be  blind  to  the  events  of  the  moral  world,  who  would  suppose 
that  what  our  own  eyes  have  seen  has  not  been  the  work  of 
God.  Yes,  we  may  freely  assert,  that  in  order  to  prove  how 
vain,  how  deceitful,  how  impotent  are  human  endeavours,  has 
the  Almighty  permitted  the  blight  of  reverses  and  sudden 
changes  to  fall  on  many  lands ;  thus  showing  us  that  not  by  our 
wisdom,  not  by  our  own  energies,  not  by  our  own  combinations, 
no  matter  how  skilfully  soever  they  be  arranged,  can  we  look 
forward  to  success,  if  He,  to  whom  all  is  subject,  denieth  his 
blessing.  Call  it  not  superstition,  imagine  not  it  is  blind  bigotry, 
to  assert  that  in  our  own  daily  experience  we  see  the  finger  of 
God  made  manifest ;  no,  friends,  no,  believing  brethren,  it  is 
indeed  in  these  daily  occurrences  that  we  are  reminded,  that 
there  is  a  judging  God  superintending  the  affairs  of  man,  ready 
to  exalt  the  humble  to  a  high  eminence,  and  to  cast  the  pre- 
sumptuous into  the  depth  of  degradation.  If  we  take  such  a 
view  of  life,  we  will  be  comforted  in  our  stations,  and  be  con- 
tent with  the  sphere  of  action  pointed  out  to  us  by  circum- 
stances, the  unerring  indicators  of  our  call. — Understand  me 
not  as  saying,  that  there  is  an  inspiration  vouchsafed  to  us  by 
which  we  are  taught  to  know  the  precise  calling  we  are  to  fol- 
low ;  but  only  as  maintaining  that  to  every  man  light  is  given, 
and  a  road  pointed  out,  which,  if  followed,  will  teach  him  how 
to  be  useful  to  himself  and  others.  There  are,  accordingly, 
many  in  private  life  who,  as  fathers,  as  friends,  or  advisers  do 
more  to  promote  the  service  of  Heaven,  than  those  who  profess 
to  be  teachers  of  religion.  To  such  it  may  be  freely  said,  "  Per- 
severe, pious  ones,  your  reward  will  be  great ;"  and  of  them  it 
may  be  maintained,  that  they  are  happy,  useful,  and  content, 
although  wealth  and  importance  in  the  sight  of  the  world  are 
not  their  portion.  How  few,  however,  are  found  willing  to 
abide  content  with  their  lot ;  alas  !  how  small  is  the  number  of 
the  meek  in  spirit,  who  seek  not  vain-glory  ! 

Man  steps  abroad,  and  finds  that  wealth  gives  the  possessor 
a  rank  in  life,  which  no  wisdom,  no  probity  can  impart !  He 
sees  the  man  of  power  courted,  flattered,  praised,  envied  by  the 
thoughtless  multitude  ;  he  farther  discovers,  that  a  strict  pursuit 


6  CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 

of  religion  will  restrain  the  unceasing  toil  for  wealth ;  he  fan- 
cies, that  in  place  of  the  ways  of  the  law  being  ways  of  plea- 
santness, they  only  tend  to  keep  him  hindmost  in  the  race,  in  the 
scramble,  to  use  an  expressive  word,  for  the  shining  baubles 
which  lure  the  million.  He  sees  no  necessity  for  him  to  be  dis- 
tanced, outdone  by  his  equals.  He  therefore  pursues  means 
equally  noxious,  equally  culpable,  in  order  to  reach  the  same 
end.  No  day  of  rest  is  now  known  to  his  active  spirit ;  no  fes- 
tival, no  Sabbath,  restrains  his  step  from  busy  pursuits ;  nay, 
not  sleep  know  his  eyelids  in  the  noon  of  night.  For  awhile 
his  prosperity  is  seemingly  boundless,  and  wealth,  gold,  jewels 
crowd  upon  him  in  masses  uncounted,  he  only  sees  before  him 
an  unending  career  of  greater  and  farther  aggrandizement ;  he 
therefore  perceives  no  evil  in  his  course.  But  suddenly  the  airy 
fabric  breaks  up  like  a  spectral  illusion  of  a  nightly  vision,  and 
the  deceived  dreamer  at  length  discovers  to  his  horror  that  he 
has  grasped  a  shadow  and  pursued  an  atom,  an  almost  nothing. 
Or  take  the  man  of  power,  who  imagines  in  his  rapid  ascent  to 
greatness,  that  to  his  superior  soul  the  grovelling  multitude 
must  yield  ready  obedience ;  he  may  perhaps  imagine  in  his 
self-delusion  that  he  is  fortune's  favourite,  and  that  to  his  pros- 
perity there  is  no  end  ;  but  suddenly  the  evil  reaches  his  heart 
also,  like  the  tornado  that  shivers  the  bark,  the  hope  of  the 
mariner,  upon  the  very  strand  where  he  trusted  to  find  a  speedy 
and  safe  harbour ;  and  when  too  late,  he  discovers  that  his  fan- 
cied security  was  his  ruin.  What  consolation  can  such  as  these 
find  in  their  downfal  ?  where  are  they  to  seek  for  comfort,  see- 
ing that  their  desired  happiness  has  taken  wing  and  left  them 
to  despair  1 — And,  nevertheless,  for  ends  like  these  will  men 
turn  their  backs,  as  it  were,  upon  the  law  of  God,  and  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  admonition  of  the  Most  High !  They  lightly 
regard  his  favour,  provided  they  can  be  esteemed  wealthy  and 
powerful  ;  and  if  but  riches  and  glory  are  theirs,  they  heed  not 
how  many  unwary  have  been  deceived,  how  many  rivers  of 
blood  they  wander  through.  And  why  ?  because  they  know 
not  the  pleasure  of  humble  content ;  because  they  heed  not, 
believe  not,  know  not  the  word  of  God.  I  speak  advisedly, 
they  believe  not,  they  know  not !  Think  not,  brethren,  that  a 
mere  knowledge  of  the  words  of  Scripture  is  such  a  knowledge 


CALL  TO  REPENTANCE.  7 

as  is  required  of  us,  or  that  a  mere  acquiescence  in  the  dogmas  of 
the  Bible  is  the  belief  demanded  ;  something  more  is  necessary ; 
for  you  should  know  religion  practically ;  you  should  be  agents, 
foremost  among  the  energetic  who  love  God  with  all  their 
heart,  with  all  their  soul,  and  with  all  their  might ;  and  your 
belief  should  be  displayed  by  an  ever-resisting  to  all  temptation 
which  might  make  the  pursuit  of  wealth  and  power  the  primary, 
that  of  piety  the  secondary  object  of  your  life.  The  want  of 
such  knowledge  and  faith  it  is  now  which  causes  so  many  to 
err ;  they  have  never  learned  to  feel  how  happy,  how  content 
they  can  be  with  small  means,  whilst  they  are  active  in  the  ser- 
vice of  their  Maker;  they  know  not,  they  believe  not,  that  the 
righteous  do  not  envy  their  powerful  neighbours,  and  wish  not, 
though  humble,  to  exchange  places  with  the  proud  and  pre- 
sumptuous. Besides,  though  acknowledging  constantly  in  words 
their  being  mortal  and  accountable,  they  act  as  though  their 
mortality  were  doubtful,  and  their  accountability  as  if  it  never 
would  be  exacted.  Hence,  as  we  said  above,  they  halt  at  no- 
thing in  their  chosen  course,  and  year  after  year  elapses,  and 
they  pursue  the  same  path  of  destruction,  and  excuses  ridicu- 
lous in  the  extreme  are  offered  to  lull  their  own  conscience,  and 
to  impose  upon  others  the  idea  that  they  are  sincere  in  thinking 
themselves  acting  rightly.  Shallow  devices !  whom  do  they 
deceive  ?  can  they  hide  their  enormity  from  themselves,  though 
others  are  deceived  1  or  even  if  they  do  impose  on  themselves, 
does  the  Almighty  not  know  ?  does  he  not  search  their  inward 
thoughts  ?  does  He  not  understand  the  desire  of  every  heart  ? 
— Yes.  truly  does  this  OXE  know,  truly  does  He  understand 
the  vanity  of  our  striving ;  the  impotency  of  our  knowledge ; 
the  \veakness  of  our  strength.  He  has  therefore  ordained  two 
remedies  for  our  sinful  nature.  The  one,  the  law  He  imparted 
to  our  ancestors,  the  second,  repentance. — The  law  contains 
the  living  precepts,  which  if  a  man  obey  he  will  live  through 
them.  In  their  execution  there  is  no  strife,  no  oppression,  no 
hatred  of  our  equals,  no  envy  of  our  superiors ;  but  all  is  peace 
within  and  love  without.  For  the  man  that  truly  endeavours 
to  shape  his  course  .by  the  law  of  Moses  has  the  cynosure  of 
the  bright  starry  heaven,  which  never  sets,  which  never  is  ob- 
scured by  clouds  and  darkness,  but  ever  guides  him  onward — 


8  CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 

onward — to  his  port  of  destination — the  embrace  of  his  Maker 
— the  favour  of  his  Father — the  countenance  of  his  God. — But 
if  misled  by  folly,  by  the  love  of  gain,  by  the  dictates  of  sinful 
ambition,  we  go  astray  from  this  holy  path ;  if  the  temptation 
of  a  sinful  life  have  induced  us  to  forego  our  inward  peace — 
our  love  of  God — our  affection  for  our  fellow-men :  then  is  the 
remedy  of  penitence  provided  for  us  by  which  we  can  become 
reconciled  to  the  Lord  of  our  destinies.  We  are  not  utterly 
rejected,  because  of  our* wrongs  ;  we  are  not  abhorred,  because 
we  have  erred.  No  !  for  "  He  being  merciful  forgiveth  iniquity, 
and  destroyeth  not,  nor  awakeneth  all  his  wrath;"  this  is  the 
language  of  Scripture,  and  presents  us  the  consoling  hope,  that 
the  God  of  love,  "  all  whose  ways  are  justice,"  and  who  him- 
self is  TRUTH,  will  receive  us  again  in  favour  when  we  return 
to  Him  in  confidence  of  pardon,  in  consciousness  of  sin.  We 
must  not  however  exculpate  our  misdeeds  by  vain  excuses,  by 
false,  specious,  self-complacency ;  for  this  would  be  clinging 
with  lingering  affection  to  our  deformity,  whilst  we  profess  to 
regret  its  existence.  Neither  must  fear  of  loss  prevent  our 
leaving  off  the  evil  of  our  ways.  For  such  a  course  would  be 
telling  in  effect  that,  though  wre  acknowledge  our  sinfulness,  \ve 
cannot  renounce  the  cause  of  our  sinning,  and  that  we  love 
thus  the  creature  more  than  the  blessed  Creator ;  the  means  of 
subsistence  better  than  everlasting  bliss ;  in  short,  the  world 
with  its  allurements  better  than  God  ! 

Nor  must  the  opinion  of  the  world  deter  us.  For  there  are 
many  who  sin  from  a  love  of  companionship,  so  to  say ;  they 
have  associates  who  pursue  an  ungodly  course  of  life,  or  who 
at  first  have  but  light  foibles,  or  sins  in  miniature ;  by  degrees 
they  increase  in  sin  as  they  grow  older;  foibles  then  have 
become  habits ;  again  time  elapses,  and  inveterate  habits  have 
degenerated  yet  further  into  vices,  but  still  the  companionship  of 
others  causes  us  to  look  upon  them  as  excusable,  aye,  as  matters 
perhaps  to  boast  of.  Need  I  prove  to  you  by  examples  innume- 
rable, that  men  have  been  drunkards  together?  robbers  together? 
blasphemers  together?  debauchees  together  ?  when  each  by  him- 
self would  not  have  dared  so  to  brave  public  opinion  ?  Say  not 
it  was  the  mean,  low-minded  villain  that  sunk  thus — would  to 
Heaven  that  this  were  so  !  but  in  all  ages  the  wise  too  have 


CALL  TO  REPENTANCE.  9 

sinned,  and  a  Korah,  a  chief  in  his  tribe,  rebelled  against  the 
chosen  of  God,  the  confided  in  of  men  ;  princes  of  their  families 
maligned  the  land  of  promise ;  a  son  of  David  drove  his  father 
from  his  home ;  a  Jeroboam  erected  golden  calves  to  mislead  the 
people,  and  innumerable  others,  renowned  for  intellect,  have  ever 
sunk  in  the  slough  of  iniquity.  Were  it  that  no  man  could  hope  to 
find  others  willing  to  join  him,  he  would  hardly  be  so  eccentric 
— that  is  the  precise  idea  which  rules  many — as  to  act  wickedly 
for  himself;  but  as  unfortunately  the  sinners  are  so  innumerable, 
the  lover  of  fellowship  cannot  see  why  he  should  be  so  unfa- 
shionable, so  odd,  so  eccentric,  so  singular,  as  to  adhere  to  the 
homely  ideas  and  customs  of  the  Jewish  nation,  "  for  who  now- 
a-days,"  he  may  say  and  think,  "  heeds  such  antiquated  notions  ?" 
But  let  us  argue  the  point  with  him.  What  is  there  of  the 
weakness  of  garrulous  old  age  in  the  precept,  "  Thou  shall  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  ?"  What  of  dotage  is  to 
be  discovered  in  the  ordinance,  "  Thou  shall  not  hate  thy  bro- 
ther in  thy  heart  1" — Or  say,  has  the  advanced  state  of  society 
made  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  less  useful  ?  We  will  admit, 
that  the  wealthy  idler,  to  whom  time  is  a  burden  the  endurance 
of  which  is  intolerable,  may  not  find  any  necessity  for  allowing 
his  horse  to  rest  on  the  seventh  day ;  he  may  not  be  able  to 
appreciate  why  he  should  abstain  from  following  his  pursuits 
of  pleasure  on  the  day  of  rest ;  but  how  is  it  with  the  labourer, 
the  artizan,  the  husbandman — have  they  not  also  a  claim  to 
enjoyment  and  relaxation  ?  is  their  toil  never  to  end  1  is  their 
life  to  be  one  continual,  unbroken,  perpetual  servitude  ? — Or 
again  :  "  And  thou  shall  make  the  Passover."  Can  the  man 
of  the  world  gainsay  the  debt  of  gratitude  that  is  due  to  the 
Deity  for  the  many  benefits  which  Israel  received  from  his 
bounly  ? — We  could  multiply  these  instances,  but  for  the  present 
enough  has  been  shown  to  prove  the  ulter  absurdity  of  such 
excuses.  Yet  the  sociable  sinner  will  allege,  thai  it  is  unrea- 
sonable to  forego  the  advantage  of  sinning  as  others  do.  He 
imagines  that  others  will  outstrip  him  in  the  race  of  \vealth  and 
preferment,  unless  he  strives  to  emulate  them.  If  one  works  on 
the  Sabbath,  he  will  earn  more  than  he  who  rests.  This  is  the 
excuse  constantly  offered.  Yet  does  it  nol  appear  lo  you, 
wilhout  any  argument,  that  sabbath-breaking  cannot  be  de- 
fended on  such  grounds  ?  for,  if  ever  so  much  is  gained  thereby, 


10  CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 

it  is  wrong  to  offend  against  acknowledged  obligations.  Be- 
sides all  this,  it  is  not  clear  that  offending  the  Deity  is  produc- 
tive of  wealth — piety  the  companion  of  poverty.  This,  how- 
ever, no  one  will  maintain,  for  not  all  the  wicked  are  rich,  nor 
are  the  servants  of  God  all  languishing  in  want.  Still,  and 
despite  of  all  this  evident  refutation  of  the  excuses  of  back- 
sliding, we  are  deterred  from  amending,  because  we  would 
thereby  appear  inconsistent.  We  would  be  laughed  at,  if  we 
went  to  Synagogue,  when  before  we  were  seldom  seen.  We 
would  be  ridiculed,  if  we  were  to  cease  our  labour  on  the  Sab- 
bath, which  before  \ve  regarded  not.  We  would  be  called 
weak-minded,  if  we  refused  joining  a  sinful  repast,  participating 
in  a  drunken  carousal,  because  our  conscience  had  only  been 
newly  awakened  to  the  sinfulness  of  such  doing.  But  why 
should  we  hesitate  to  separate  ourselves  from  the  throng  of  the 
thoughtless,  when  we  feel  a  call  within  to  seek  the  approach  to 
God  ?  Why  should  we  fear  to  incur  loss,  when  we  seek  to 
make  our  peace  with  our  Maker?  why  should  we  wish  to 
frame  excuses  unto  ourselves,  when  we  come  to  appear  before 
the  Searcher  of  hearts  with  the  humble  offering  of  prayer? — 
This  then  should  be  our  repentance,  a  sincere  self-accusation, 
an  entire  elevation  above  the  thought  of  paltry  gain,  a  complete 
separation  from  associates  whose  manners  are  corrupted  and 
corrupting.'— If  this  is  our  new  conduct,  we  will  soon  lose  the 
pride  of  self-elevation,  be  enabled  to  serve  God  in  truth,  and  to 
resist  temptation,  no  matter  how  seductive  it  may  appear.  This 
is  the  heart  of  flesh  of  which  Scriptures  speak  ;  this  is  the  liberal 
spirit,  the  pure  soul  for  which  David  prayed.  And  thus  speaks 
Ezekiel  xviii.  31,  32  :— 

on  onytra  WK  DD^^S  SD  n«  DD'Sy 
no  irnan  noSi  nenn  nm  cnn  nS 
D>nSx  'n  o&o  nan  man 

:  3"7  K^J  n"<  Sxprrr     ; 

"Throw  off  from  you  all  your  transgressions  with  which  you  have  trans- 
gressed, and  make  yourselves  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit,  and  why  will 
you  die,  O  house  of  Israel!  For  truly  I  desire  not  that  the  guilty  should 
die,  saith  the  Lord  God ;  return  then  and  live." 


CALL  TO  REPENTANCE. 


11 


"  Throw  off  from  you  all  your  transgressions,"  how  is  this 
to  be  effected  ?  by  "  making  yourselves  a  new  heart  and  a  new 
spirit;"  if  formerly  you  were  presumptuous,  self-sufficient,  loving 
the  world  more  than  God,  placing  the  temporal  above  the  eter- 
nal, you  should  alter  all  this,  and  endeavour  to  love  your  Father, 
walk  humbly  before  Him,  and  follow  his  ways,  and  as  He  is  mer- 
ciful, be  you  merciful ;  as  He  is  truth,  so  love  you  truth,  and  as 
his  goodness  is  over  all  his  creatures,  so  do  you  scatter  the  fruits 
of  your  beneficence  unto  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor.  If  so  you 
act,  ye  who  are  of  the  loins  of  Israel,  how  sweetly  will  your 
memorial  rise  before  the  Judge  of  all!  brighter  far  than  the 
morning  will  your  light  break  forth,  you  will  call,  and  the  Lord 
will  answer,  and  the  glory  of  God  will  receive  you,  will  gather 
you  unto  happiness.  Glorious  indeed  a  Day  of  Atonement 
which  closes  with  such  changes ;  happy  indeed  would  we  all  be 
if  the  coming  morrow  would  receive  in  this  house  penitents,  ser- 
vants newly  awakened  to  the  service  of  the  Most  High.  Then 
indeed  would  our  sins  be  forgiven,  and  like  to  David  of  old,  would 
it  be  recorded  in  the  book  of  life :  "  The  Lord  has  also  caused 
thy  sin  to  pass  away,  thou  shall  not  die." 

Father!  in  thy  name  do  Thou  bless  us;  remove  our  transgres- 
sion from  thy  sight,  and  rend  the  evil  decrees  which  concern  us; 
and  renew  to  us  a  year  of  happiness  and  content;  a  year  of  love 
and  rejoicing;  a  year  of  peace  and  repentance;  and  open  unto 
us  and  all  Israel  the  gates  of  favour  and  mercy,  of  prayer,  of 
knowledge  in  thy  law ;  restore  thy  kingdom  unto  thy  chosen 
David  son  of  Jesse ;  guide  us  unto  thy  truth,  and  receive  us  into 
thy  embrace,  there  to  dwell  securely  unto  everlasting.  Amen. 

Tishry  7th    )  ,-CQQ 
October  6th  \  K 

NOTE. — The  foregoing  address  was  composed  with  especial  reference  to 
the  distress  in  the  commercial  world,  which  fell  like  a  blight  upon  many 
countries  in  the  year  1837,  as  it  appeared  to  me  of  sufficient  importance  and 
significance  to  call  the  attention  of  the  brethren  to  this  fact,  as  proving  the 
inefficacy  of  human  means  to  insure  success  if  divine  blessing  is  not  sent  to 
prosper  the  labour  of  our  hands. 


12 


DISCOURSE  II. 

THE    REDEMPTION    OF    ISRAEL. 

GUARDIAN  of  Israel,  who  hast  preserved  thy  people  amidst 
all  their  sorrows  in  all  their  wanderings  in  the  lands  of  their 
alien  oppressors,  and  hast  guarded  them  as  the  apple  of  the  eye, 
so  that  there  never  was  wanting  one  of  the  children  of  Jacob  to 
stand  before  Thee  and  to  serve  Thee:  continue  unto  us  also  thy 
favour  and  guide  us  with  thy  knowledge,  that  we  may  know  the 
ways  of  thy  law;  and  lead  us  with  thy  grace,  that  our  feet  may 
stand  firmly ;  bestow  on  us  thy  bounty,  that  we  may  be  satisfied 
of  thy  abundant  goodness ;  and  let  thy  countenance  be  lifted  up 
unto  us,  that  we  may  enjoy  peace  when  in  this  perishable  life, 
and  obtain  glory  and  happiness  when  Thou  takest  our  spirits 
unto  thyself,  when  by  thy  decree  our  appointed  days  on  earth 
are  fulfilled.  May  this  be  thy  will,  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 

The  festival,  on  which  we  annually  celebrate  our  redemption 
from  the  slavery  we  had  to  endure  by  divine  decree  in  the  land 
of  Egypt,  is  close  at  hand,  and  it  is  meet,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom sanctified  by  usage,  law,  and  feelings  of  gratitude,  that  we 
should  reflect  upon  this  event  with  emotions  of  thankfulness  to 
that  infinite  Being  who  watches  over  us  in  our  afflictions  and  is 
the  Arbiter  of  all  events  which  occur  among  the  children  of  his 
creation.  To  the  unthinking  the  recurrence  of  a  festival  is 
viewed  either  as  a  time  of  physical  rejoicing,  or  they  neglect  it 
as  a  season  which  merits  not  their  regard.  But  not  so  with 
Israelites  fortified  by  faith  and  instruction ;  to  them  the  festivals 
bring  rejoicing  and  gratitude,  they  honour  them  as  seasons  de- 
voted to  the  service  of  the  Almighty,  and  they  improve  them  as 
fit  occasions  to  awaken  a  love  of  the  divine  law  in  their  hearts. 
Let  us  view  the  going  out  of  Egypt  in  the  proper  light,  not  with 
the  levity  which  unbelievers  are  apt  to  indulge  in,  and  we  will 
discover  in  it,  what  it  was  intended  to  be,  a  beginning  for  the 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL.  13 

dawn  of  liberty,  not  for  Israel  alone,  but  for  all  nations,  and  a 
liberation  of  the  mind  from  false  ideas  of  the  Deity,  not  for 
Jacob's  sons  alone,  but  also  for  all  the  descendants  of  Noah. 
Without  going  too  far  into  the  details  of  history,  we  will  briefly 
advert  to  the  state  of  society  in  the  days  of  Abraham  and  sub- 
sequently thereto.  The  only  book  which  can  correctly  guide  us 
is  the  book  of  Genesis,  as  there  exists  no  account  having  the 
least  claim  to  authenticity  equal  to  this,  and  surely  fabulous  his- 
tories cannot  much  assist  the  inquirer  after  truth,  farther  than  to 
teach  him  how  far  the  minds  of  reasoning  men  may  be  misled 
if  incorrectly  informed.  To  proceed :  When  Abraham  first 
began  to  diffuse  the  worship  he  possessed,  we  find  that  the  coun- 
try in  which  he  lived,  then  and  now  called  Palestine  and  the 
land  of  Canaan,  was  divided  into  innumerable  little  principalities 
and  kingdoms,  and  every  city  almost  appears  to  have  been  inde- 
pendent of  its  neighbour,  yet  each  subject  to  a  king,  the  arbiter  of 
life  and  property,  as  will  appear  from  the  address  of  the  king  of 
Sodom  to  Abram :  "  Give  me  the  persons  and  the  property  taken 
unto  thyself."  (Genesis  xiv.  21.)  War  and  bloodshed,  even  to  the 
extermination  of  entire  tribes,  seem  to  have  been  the  occupa- 
tion of  these  petty  tyrants ;  whilst  the  morals  and  worship  of  the 
people  seem  to  have  been  totally  neglected.  The  warnings  of 
the  flood  and  the  miraculous  confusion  of  tongues  appear  to 
have  left  no  trace  behind,  so  regardless  was  every  one  of  the 
divine  decrees  given  to  Noah.  A  man  was  assaulted  for  har- 
bouring strangers ;  and  even  in  Egypt,  a  country  so  boasted  for 
its  learning,  and  knowledge,  as  some  aver,  of  true  religion,  a 
wayfarer  justly  dreaded  the  loss  of  life,  because  his  wife  was 
blessed  with  a  comely  person.  The  countries  surrounding  Pa- 
lestine were  no  better  off,  since  we  find  that  princes  of  various 
tribes  confederated  to  make  a  murderous  inroad  from  the  dis- 
tant Euphrates  unto  the  confines  of  Egypt.  Also  in  a  later  pe- 
riod, when  Jacob  left  the  country  of  Aram  between  the  rivers, 
he  was  pursued  by  his  relation  Laban,  who  carried  with  him  an 
armed  band  of  his  own  followers  ready  to  do  his  bidding  even 
to  the  slaughtering  of  women  and  children.  What  the  condition 
of  the  more  distant  regions  from  the  centre  of  civilization  was 
we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining ;  still  we  may  reasonably  con- 
clude, that  only  the  strong  hand  of  every  individual  could  secure 
VOL.  in. — 2 


14  THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL. 

to  him  the  possession  of  life,  liberty,  and  his  laboriously  acquired 
wealth.  Peaceful  pursuits,  uninfluenced  by  fear  of  predatory 
warfare,  could  not  be  thought  of;  the  sword  alone  gave  security, 
and  the  strong  of  hand  ruled  heavily  over  the  weak  and  timid. 
Whatever  of  truth  was  known  on  earth  became  the  exclusive 
property  of,  and  was  communicated,  as  mysteries,  to  an  exclusive 
class  of  priests,  who  had  peculiar  privileges,  peculiar  dress, 
manners  and  knowledge  from  the  rest  of  the  community,  even 
if  we  admit  that  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God  was  in  their  pos- 
session. This,  however,  is  by  no  means  certain.  It  is  no  doubt 
true,  that  when  first  began  the  apostacy  of  mankind  it  was  a 
wilful  going  astray ;  man  refused  to  submit  to  divine  rule,  and 
followed  ordinances  of  his  own  inventing ;  and  that  whilst  so 
transgressing  the  knowledge  that  there  exists  an  almighty  Cre- 
ator, who  communicated  his  will  to  the  progenitor  of  the  human 
race,  was  not  taken  from  him  ;  yet  it  is  not  absolutely  certain 
that  he  should  teach  his  children  the  duties  which  he  refused 
to  execute,  the  knowledge  which  did  not  withhold  him  from 
error.  If  even  then  the  first  ages,  to  go  a  step  farther,  commu- 
nicated the  truth  to  a  chosen  few,  and  held  up  a  symbolic  wor- 
ship to  the  multitude  which  they  in  their  own  hearts  held  to  be 
false :  yet  we  may  maintain  that  this  did  not  continue  for  many 
ages,  and  that  within  five  generations  from  the  confusion  of  lan- 
guages one  chaotic  state  of  irreligion  pervaded  all  mankind  with 
the  exception  of  the  few,  who  practised  the  precepts  handed 
down  to  them  by  "  the  father  of  a  multitude  of  people."  In  his 
day  we  yet  find  that  a  Malchi-Zedek  was  a  priest  of  the  Most 
High,  residing  in  Salem,  afterwards  the  renowned  city  of  Jeru- 
salem. But  when  the  land  was  conquered  we  do  not  find  a  ves- 
tige of  the  true  worship  among  the  Jebusites  who  then  inhabited 
this  part  of  Palestine,  and  doubtlessly  did  so  in  the  days  of  Abra- 
ham. It  is  due,  however,  to  truth,  to  state  to  you  in  this  place, 
that  there  is  one  passage  in  the  book  of  Genesis  which  gives 
some  colour  to  the  hypothesis  that  it  was  customary  to  commu- 
nicate the  knowledge  of  the  truth  to  a  few,  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
many.  It  is  in  the  following  words  (Gen.  xviii.  18, 19) :  "  Seeing 
that  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and  mighty  nation, 
and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  him.  For  I 
know  him,  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his  household 
after  him,  and  they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  justice 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL.  15 

and  judgment,  that  the  Lord  may  bring  upon  Abraham  that 
which  he  hath  spoken  of  him."  In  this  extract,  where  I  have 
quoted  the  Bible  Version,  we  find  that  Abraham  is  praised  for 
the  knowledge  God  had  of  him,  "  that  he  would  command  his 
children  and  his  household  after  him,  to  keep  the  way  of  the 
Lord ;"  from  which  phraseology  it  might  be  inferred  that  others 
possessed  of  the  same  knowledge  would  not  so  communicate  it 
universally,  but  only  to  a  few,  or  a  class  especially  privileged 
for  its  acquisition.  This  however  is  the  only  passage  which 
now  occurs  to  me,  in  the  least  calculated  to  favour  the  theory 
that  heathenism  is  based  upon  truth.  But  admit  the  whole  as 
proven ;  say  that  the  Creator  was  worshipped  by  the  priests, 
while  the  multitude  fell  prostrate  before  images,  gods  made  by 
their  own  hands ;  grant  that  in  the  mysterious  writings  which 
the  sacerdotal  order  possessed  they  treasured  up  knowledge  of 
high  and  holy  things  unknown  to  the  unworthy,  unlettered,  super- 
stitious nations  whose  spiritual  guides  they  were  (I  use  the  word 
spiritual  guides  in  the  sense  it  is  used  among  us,  though  they  were 
seducers  rather  than  guides) :  still  we  may  reasonably  deny  the 
utility  of  any  system,  which  will  leave  the  many  in  ignorance, 
and  establish  an  aristocracy  of  information,  a  tyranny  worse 
even  than  the  fetters  with  which  the  task-master  binds  the  slave 
after  finishing  his  daily  toil.  For,  what  is  the  object  of  religion  ? 
It  is  to  bind  the  creature  to  his  Maker  by  the  ties  of  affection- 
ate devotion  and  reverential  fear  ;  it  is  to  teach  man  to  feel  that 
he  is  dependent  upon  the  great  Omnipotent  whose  servant  he 
is ;  it  is  to  teach  the  son  of  the  earth  to  look  to  the  infinite 
Judge  to  right  him  in  his  cause,  and  to  save  him  when  in 
affliction.  In  short,  religion  should  promote  the  love  and  fear 
of  God,  and  plant  hope,  humility,  faith  and  confidence  in  the 
human  breast,  of  the  lowly  no  less  than  the  exalted.  If  then 
man  is  taught  to  offer  his  adoration  to  imaginary  things,  the 
creations  of  fraud  or  deception,  how  is  he  to  obtain  the  requi- 
sites of  religion  to  render  his  life  happy  and  his  death  peaceful  ? 
He  bows  to  the  image  of  the  sun ;  is  this  to  teach  him  devo- 
tion 1  He  worships  the  abstraction  of  the  planets ;  is  this  to 
inspire  him  with  faith?  In  a  word,  can  error  produce  the 
effects  of  truth  ?  Even  assume  a  man  sincere  and  ardently 
devoted  to  the  symbolic  worship,  if  you  please  to  call  it  so ; 


16  THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL. 

still  the  pure  adoration  of  the  One  Supreme,  the  holy  flame  of 
devotion  kindled  in  the  pious  mind  by  a  contemplation  of  his 
mighty  deeds  cannot  grow  up  amidst  the  rank  weeds  of  error. 
And  if  the  priests  or  the  privileged  class,  we  alluded  to,  alone 
are  possessed  of  a  better  knowledge,  and  allow  not  the  com- 
munity to  participate,  is  it  not,  as  was  stated,  forging  galling 
chains  of  intolerable  servitude  of  the  mind,  injurious  far  more 
than  the  thraldom  of  the  body  ?  But  this  latter  calamity  was 
also  the  legitimate  consequence  of  the  general  degeneracy ;  and 
tyranny  and  oppression  followed  in  its  train,  till  all  mankind 
groaned  under  the  yoke  of  misrule,  and  no  nation  was  free, 
whilst  designing  men  under  the  garb  of  priest,  soothsayers, 
oracles  and  diviners  ruled  by  their  advice  or  secret  machina- 
tions the  public  mind. 

It  is  often  boasted  that  universal  toleration  of  all  beliefs  was  the 
general  custom  of  heathen  people,  but  that  with  the  rise  of  revela- 
tion persecution  for  opinion's  sake  became  more  and  more  preva- 
lent. But,  again,  we  may  reasonably  question  the  general  truth 
of  the  assertion.  For  although  in  certain  lands  there  may  have 
been  no  prohibition  against  worshipping  any  of  the  many  ideali- 
ties which  besotted  men  set  up  as  gods;  still  we  find  from 
authentic  records,  and  confirmed  by  traditions,  that  it  was  dan- 
gerous to  worship  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  Of  positive 
history  we  have  the  account  of  Daniel,  which  relates  how  his 
three  friends  were  cast  into  a  burning  furnace,  because  they 
would  not  worship  the  golden  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar ;  in 
Darius's  reign  a  prohibition  was  promulgated  against  any  one 
praying  for  a  period  of  thirty  days,  under  pains  of  being  cast 
into  the  lions'  den.  Ahab  and  Jezebel  slew  all  the  prophets  of 
the  Lord,  and  only  Elijah  escaped.  Antiochus  and  his  generals 
endeavoured  to  banish  totally  from  the  Hebrews  the  know- 
ledge of  their  religion  ;  and  a  persecution  as  bitter  as  ever  was 
waged  against  us  by  any  sect,  or  which  any  people  inflicted  on 
another  for  the  sake  of  a  difference  of  opinion,  was  waged  for 
many  years,  till  the  land  was  freed,  by  bloody  wars  and  unpar- 
ralleled  deeds  of  heroism,  from  its  ruthless  oppressors. — Tra- 
dition and  writings,  current  only  among  ourselves,  do  not  lack 
instances  of  a  similar  nature ;  and  it  is  said  that  Abram,  before 
he  left  Ur  in  Chaldea,  was  tried  by  fire  because  of  his  belief  in 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL.  17 

the  One  Supreme,  and  the  destruction  of  his  father's  idols.  An 
interesting  narrative  on  this  subject  might  easily  be  compiled, 
but  it  would  lead  us  too  far  from  our  present  purpose.  Enough 
has  been  shown  that  idolaters  were  not  always  tolerant ;  and 
even  if  they  had  been,  what  does  it  amount  to  ?  simply  that  in 
the  mode  of  worshipping  common  among  them,  the  things  to 
be  adored  were  unlimited,  and  each  person  made  unto  himself 
such  an  emblem  as  his  fancy  chose,  and  sought  to  attract  at- 
tention, as  men  now  do  to  articles  of  merchandize,  by  exhibit- 
ing some  proof  of  its  superior  excellence.  Witness  the  oracle 
erected  by  Micah,  the  Ephraimite,  which  by  the  management 
of  the  pseudo-priest  obtained  a  great  celebrity  among  the  tribe 
of  Dan,  at  the  time  when  idolatry  flourished  among  Israelites. 
Witness  also  the  oracle  of  Delphi,  and  other  divinations  of 
ancient  pagans,  where  a  certain  degree  of  cunning  and  artful 
double-dealing  benighted  the  minds  of  inquirers,  whilst  they 
believed  themselves  in  possession  of  divine  replies.  Of  course, 
under  such  a  system  it  was  dangerous  for  the  worshippers  of 
one  falsity  to  attack  that  of  the  other  too  much,  and  the  policy 
of  the  priests,  who  knew  at  least  themselves  that  their  art  was 
mere  deception,  must  have  been  not  to  interfere  with  each  other 
unless  their  interest  suffered  thereby.  But  if  even  we  concede 
them  a  thorough  and  sincere  conviction,  for  the  mind  may 
labour  under  strange  hallucinations :  still  the  great  alleged  tole- 
ration may  have  proceeded  from  the  knowledge  that  there  must 
be  something  yet  beyond  the  things  then  adored,  more  power- 
ful, more  energetic,  and  more  holy.  But  still  a  Socrates  was 
accused  of  blasphemy  for  approaching  the  truth ;  and  Moses 
feared  to  sacrifice  unto  God  among  Egyptians  out  of  fear  of 
persecution.  It  will,  therefore,  appear  that  toleration  was  not 
inherent  in  paganism,  nor  universal  among  pagan  nations,  and 
it  is  not  supported  by  any  historic  evidence  to  fasten  intole- 
rance upon  the  early  possessors  of  revelation,  nor  upon  the 
receivers  of  the  law  from  Sinai.  Abraham  was  charitable  to 
all ;  his  house  received  the  traveller  of  the  desert,  and  believers 
and  idolaters  were  fed  of  his  bounty.  With  the  Canaanites  he 
lived  at  peace,  and  swore  fealty  and  truth  to  people  whom  he 
once  feared  as  enemies  of  his  life.  Isaac  and  Jacob  were  no 
less  distinguished  for  their  benevolence  to  the  people  among 

2* 


18  THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL. 

whom  they  dwelt ;  and  we  may  safely  aver  that  the  history  of 
the  patriarchs  furnishes  no  instances  where  a  single  trace  of 
intolerance  or  bigotry  is  discoverable.  Certainly  the  fragment 
of  the  life  of  Joseph  which  has  come  down  to  us  does  not 
afford  any  evidence  of  intolerance ;  for  we  find  nowhere  a  pic- 
ture of  greater  truth  and  fidelity  than  is  given  in  that  simple 
and  short  narrative.  Equally  futile  is  it  to  look  in  the  law  of 
Moses  for  evidences  of  intolerance.  In  not  a  single  passage  is 
persecution  for  opinion's  sake  allowed  ;  and  if  you  take  away 
the  commandment  enjoining  the  removal  of  idols  from  the  land, 
we  have  even  no  prohibition  against  the  worship  of  idols  in 
Palestine  by  strangers ;  in  truth,  it  would  appear  that  no  one 
had  any  right  to  see  after  their  conduct  in  their  own  houses  ; 
and  provided  they  offended  not  publicly  the  laws  of  the  land, 
no  one  could  molest  them  according  to  our  laws.  The  public 
prohibition  of  idolatry  cannot,  however,  be  called  an  act  of 
intolerance.  For  emphatically  speaking  the  law  of  Moses  was 
the  political  as  well  as  the  moral  code  of  our  people,  their 
thought,  their  actions,  their  worship,  and  their  hope  and  pros- 
perity, were  all  to  be  regulated  according  to  its  ordinances ; 
idols  were  accordingly  considered  as  a  political  nuisance,  mili- 
tating by  their  presence  against  the  sovereignty  of  the  Eternal 
Lord,  the  invisible  King  of  the  people  He  had  chosen.  Ac- 
cording to  this  view,  idolatry  was  naturally  an  offence  against 
the  state,  its  prohibition  therefore  no  persecution,  but  merely 
the  enforcement  of  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord,  as  the 
sole  Sovereign  of  Palestine.  At  a  future  day  we  may  enlarge 
on  this  subject,  and  place  it  in  a  stronger  light  before  you ;  but 
at  present  we  must  hasten  to  resume  the  subject  from  which 
we  started.  We  may  therefore  maintain,  that  since  no  perse- 
cution is  authorised  or  even  allowed  by  Scriptures,  and  since 
the  single  prohibition  of  the  possession  of  the  idols  was  afterwards 
much  neglected,  greatly  to  the  destruction  of  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  Israel,  it  is  not  consonant  with  truth  to  charge  the 
Israelites  with  the  crime  and  folly  of  originating  religious  perse- 
cution. 

We  have  thus  seen  that  ignorance  and  tyranny  had  been 
made  the  lot  of  mankind,  disfiguring,  by  their  rapid  strides,  the 
creation  of  the  Omnipotent.  The  warnings,  as  was  said  in  the 
early  part  of  this  address,  of  the  flood  and  the  confusion  of 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL.  19 

tongues  had  failed  to  instruct  the  world  that  the  Ruler  of  the 
universe  would  not  allow  transgressions  against  his  will  to 
remain  unpunished.  It  will  therefore  appear  that  retribution, 
nay,  extermination  of  the  entire  mass  of  men,  had  failed  of 
effecting  the  divine  economy,  the  spread  of  a  universal  religion 
over  the  face  of  the  earth.  Two  thousand  years  had  rolled 
over  the  world  since  its  first  creation,  and  yet  but  few  would 
acknowledge  the  great  Creator  who  had  displayed  unto  them 
so  often  his  mighty  power.  Should  He  again  desolate  all? 
sweep  off  again  the  mass  of  mankind  ?  If  again  they  multi- 
plied, the  same  consequence  would  have  ensued,  unless  He,  to 
whom  all  is  possible,  had  vouchsafed  to  remove  the  tendency 
to  evil  inherent  in  human  nature.  But  this  suited  not  the  plan 
of  the  Lord,  who,  in  forming  man,  imparted  to  him  the  know- 
ledge, and  consequent  choice,  of  good  and  evil.  He  preferred 
schooling  the  world  to  his  service,  and  to  educate  his  crea- 
tures, so  to  say,  to  a  knowledge  of  himself,  and  a  correct  per- 
ception of  the  truth.  The  time,  indeed,  may  seem  long  to  us, 
whose  years  are  but  brief,  and  whose  thoughts  are  bounded  by 
corporeal  limits ;  but  to  Him,  whose  years  are  unending,  and 
whose  wisdom  is  infinite,  what  are  three  thousand  years  ?  is 
his  existence  affected  by  this  to  us  long  duration  1  Certainly 
not ;  and  we  therefore  need  not,  should  not,  wonder  that  the 
world  has  been  left  gradually  to  come  unto  the  service  of  the 
Lord,  and  that  not  any  sudden  change  has  been  effected  since 
the  mission  of  Abraham.  Your  attention  has  before  this  been 
directed  to  the  kind  of  education  the  world  has  undergone  since 
the  days  of  this  great  apostle ;  how  God  took  him  from  his 
erring  father's  home,  and,  leading  him  through  lands  untrodden 
by  him  before  his  old  age,  caused  him  to  teach  the  truth 
wherever  he,  the  Patriarch,  pitched  his  tent.  You  also  know  that 
after  his  death  Isaac  became  the  prophet  and  blessed  one  of 
the  Lord,  transmitting  the  truth  to  Jacob,  whom  his  God  sur- 
named  Israel.  You  know  also  how  the  aged  father  went  down 
to  Egypt  to  behold  his  long-lost  Joseph  before  his  death.  It 
was  then  in  Egypt  that  the  promise  made  to  Abraham,  "  that 
his  seed  should  be  made  as  numerous  as  the  stars  of  heaven 
and  the  sand  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea"  began  its  fulfilment. 
"  The  children  of  Israel  increased  and  multiplied,  and  the  land 


OQ  THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL. 

was  full  of  them,"  so  that  the  suspicions  of  the  ruler  of  the  land 
were  roused  against  them,  and  he  devised  a  plan  for  lessening 
the  number  of  the  strange  people  whom  his  predecessor  had 
invited  to  sojourn  in  the  land  of  Goshen.  A  long  servitude 
was  this  cunningly  devised  plan,  and  to  it  was  at  last  added  the 
slaughter  of  all  the  Hebrew  male  children.  Imagine  to  your- 
selves a  state  more  hopeless  than  this,  if  you  can.  To  all  the 
sickening  horrors  of  perpetual  thraldom,  where  the  great  leveller 
alone  of  all  humanity  can  bring  release  from  the  galling  bonds, 
was  superadded  the  approaching  annihilation  of  their  entire 
nation.  The  whip  of  the  task-master,  the  cry  of  the  driver, 
banished  all  thoughts  of  self-liberation  to  a  people  scattered 
over  all  the  land  of  Egypt  as  slaves,  compelled  to  build  the 
towns  of  the  king's  treasure,  to  dig  his  immense  canals,  to  con- 
struct his  stupendous  aqueducts,  and  to  till  the  soil  of  their  indi- 
vidual oppressors.  We  have  no  account  of  any  attempted 
rising  of  the  Hebrews  ;  but  where  was  the  hope  of  its  being  of 
any  use  ?  Without  arms,  or  at  all  events  unused  to  wield  them ; 
without  concert  in  their  ranks ;  fatigued  too  much  by  day  to 
brood  in  secret  conclave  over  daring  deeds  by  night ;  watched 
by  troops  that  had  overrun  every  land  then  known  to  civiliza- 
tion ;  perhaps  mistrusting  each  other  for  fear  of  having  by  one  evil 
report  reaching  the  Pharaoh's  ears  their  daily  toil,  as  actually 
did  happen,  doubled  in  intensity :  they  were  compelled  to  submit 
to  a  state  of  degradation,  which  perhaps  long  custom  had  made 
habitual  to  them.  The  father  toiled  whilst  his  strength  endured ; 
the  son  and  grand-son  had  to  submit  to  a  like  yoke ;  and  there 
was  accordingly  engendered  such  a  feeling  of  inferiority  to  their 
free  neighbours,  as  almost  to  place  these  in  their  own  estimation 
in  a  scale  of  excellence  far  above  themselves.  Similar  cir- 
cumstances produce  similar  effects  in  our  own  day,  nay,  in  this 
very  land,  and  this  will  give  us  some  insight  into  the  fact  that 
deep-rooted  hatred  never  prompted  a  violent  outbreak  during 
a  period  of  full  two  hundred  years. — The  tradition  that  their 
forefathers  had  been  the  favourites  of  the  All-Father  was  still 
current  among  them ;  they  were  yet  distinguished  in  comeli- 
ness of  feature  and  colour  of  the  skin  from  the  people  among 
whom  they  lived ;  for  even  in  servitude  was  Israel  the  peculiar 
people,  and  thus  wisely  Jiad  the  Lord  preserved  this  nation, 


THE  REDEMFflON  OF  ISRAEL.  21 

whom  he  had  chosen  for  his  service. — Living  in  luxury  and  at 
ease,  a  residence  of  so  long  a  period  might  perhaps  have  caused 
them  to  amalgamate  by  degrees  with  the  Egyptians ;  incipient 
repugnance  would  in  progress  of  time  have  been  dissipated, 
and  consequently  no  distinct  nation  of  Jacob's  sons  could  ever 
have  travelled  out  of  the  land  of  their  sojournment.  Observe 
now  the  divine  economy.  Immediately  after  the  death  of  the 
sons  of  Jacob,  by  which  the  first  link  with  the  original  fathers 
was  broken,  and  when,  consequently,  the  original  receivers  of 
revelation  had  ceased  to  be  on  earth,  the  Lord  suffered  that 
the  aversion  of  the  Egyptians  to  the  shepherd-people  should 
take  its  natural  course,  that  is  to  say,  to  produce  a  reciprocal 
aversion,  strongest  of  course  on  the  part  of  those  who  beheld 
the  beasts  they  worshipped  made  the  food  or  otherwise  the 
merchandize  of  the  strangers,  whom  they  regarded  first  as  so- 
journers  and  guests,  and  afterwards  doubtlessly  as  intruders.  It 
was  also  the  will  of  God,  that  the  children  of  Abraham  should 
be  servants  during  a  part  of  the  period  appointed  for  their  being 
strangers  in  a  land  not  theirs.  But  the  sinful  cruelty  afterwards 
exercised  we  may  reasonably  believe  was  in  contravention  to 
the  purposes  of  God,  as  much  as  the  sinning  of  any  one  of  us ; 
the  bondage  in  short  was  decreed,  to  preserve  our  people  till 
they  had  grown  up  into  a  mighty  nation,  for  imposing  which 
the  Egyptians  would  hardly  have  been  accountable ;  but  the 
cruel  oppression  of  the  individuals,  the  slaughter  of  children, 
the  haughty  contempt  of  the  God  of  Israel,  these  were  sins  which 
merited  and  received  condign  visitation. — But  whilst  we  had 
been  thus  preserved,  we  had,  as  already  remarked,  lost  much, 
if  not  all,  of  our  national  self-respect,  we  were  Israelites  by 
compulsion  more  than  any  thing  else,  as  the  Egyptians  were 
too  proud  to  receive  us  among  them  as  equals  ;*  and  although 
it  is  undoubted  that  many  yet  retained  a  due  knowledge  of  and 
reverence  for  the  simple  worship  of  the  patriarchs,  still  it  is 
equally  certain  that  the  mass  were  tainted,  if  not  wholly  cor- 
rupted, by  the  system  of  idolatry  among  which  they  had  so 

*  Witness  the  pride  of  Spanish  nobles,  that  they  are  from  an  unmixed 
family,  and  not  in  anywise  connected  with  persons  outwardly  Christians, 
descended  from  Jewish  or  Moorish  families. 


22  THE  REDEMPTION  OF  ISRAEL. 

long  dwelt.  Yet  during  this  period  of  suffering  it  was  made 
manifest  to  them  that  there  is  a  Power  who  forsakes  not  the 
humble,  and  who  permits  not  the  proud  and  lofty  to  bear  down 
with  too  heavy  a  hand  upon  the  lowly ;  for  every  device  to 
diminish  them  had  signally  failed.  Consequently  all  hope  of 
better  days  had  not  perished  within  them  ;  and  when  therefore 
the  time  of  trial  was  ended,  there  were  many,  perhaps  all,  who 
at  once  readily  believed  the  joyful  message  with  which  the 
prophet  was  charged,  to  announce  unto  them  a  speedy  deliver- 
ance through  the  fresh  display  of  the  might  of  the  Eternal  One. 
Soon  thereupon  were  wrought  signs  and  wonders,  deeds  un- 
heard of  before  and  never  since  seen  again  were  of  daily  oc- 
currence, in  order  to  prove  "  that  there  is  none  like  the  Ever- 
lasting Lord  our  God."  The  oppressor  was  made  to  feel  that 
the  Creator's  power  was  yet  capable  of  doing  all  as  at  the 
creation,  and  the  Israelites  were  convinced  that  his  promises 
never  fail  of  a  fulfilment,  if  even  the  period  of  suffering  should 
have  been  continued  beyond  the  time  they  imagined  as  the 
termination  of  patient  endurance.  All  the  world,  too,  was 
instructed  that  no  one  can  withstand  the  outstretched  arm  that 
wields  the  everlasting  sceptre  ;  and  the  contemner  of  the  hea- 
venly mandate  succumbed  and  said :  "  The  Lord  is  righteous, 
and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked  ;"  and  again :  "  Rise  and  go 
out  from  the  midst  of  my  people,  you  as  well  as  the  children  of 
Israel ;  but  bless  me  too."  Joyfully  the  ransomed  went  forth  ; 
and  thus  was  completed  the  redemption  which  had  been  pro- 
mised ;  and  thus  had  the  people  been  educated  who,  whilst 
receiving  the  law,  were  to  become  thereby  the  blessing  of  all  * 
the  families  of  the  earth,  like  the  looked-for  torch,  suddenly 
sent  down  to  the  hopeless  miner,  who  vainly  gropes  his  way  to 
the  lost  entrance,  amidst  the  appalling  gloom  which  reigns  in 
the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Ay,  this  glorious  light  was  kindled 
on  yon  Sinai,  and  this  light  of  the  unchanging  God  is  to  be  the 
guide  unto  the  heavenly  portals  of  eternal  bliss  to  the  now  be- 
nighted sons  of  men.  And  thus  speaks  the  prophet  (Malachi 
iiil  6)  :— 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  33 

"  For  I  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not,  therefore  ye  sons  of  Jacob  are  not  con- 
sumed." 

In  truth,  the  same  Providence  which  watched  over  us  when 
in  slavery  under  Pharaoh's  tyranny  has  ever  since  guarded 
us  ;  and  whenever  troubles  have  encompassed  us  we  were 
always  saved  by  the  same  mighty  Hand  that  piled  up  the 
waters  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  whenever  enemies  strove  to  make 
us  forget  the  law,  the  same  potent  Voice  that  spoke  at  Sinai 
preserved  its  influence  over  our  mind,  so  that  the  holy  legacy 
has  not  been  forgotten.  If  therefore  our  children  and  the  sons 
of  the  stranger  ask,  "  What  is  this  service  unto  you  ?"  we  may 
answer,  "  It  is  because  the  supreme  Ruler  fulfilled  his  word, 
and  took  unto  himself  a  people  from  the  midst  of  another,  to 
diffuse  through  their  agency,  life,  liberty,  salvation,  and  truth 
to  the  utmost  ends  of  the  world  on  which  our  lot  is  cast." 

Father  of  Israel  !  preserve  us  farther  in  thy  grace,  and  look 
not  unto  our  follies  and  transgressions,  though  they  be  many, 
but  have  regard  unto  the  covenant  Thou  sworest  unto  our 
fathers,  that  Thou  wouldst  be  their  God,  and  unto  their  children 
for  ever.  Amen. 


Nissan  10th 
April  5th 


DISCOURSE  III. 

THE    MISSION    OF    THE    PROPHETS. 

LORD  of  the  universe,  whose  glory  filleth  all  the  earth,  we 
come  to  adore  Thee,  because  of  the  great  truth  and  kindness 
which  Thou  hast  ever  displayed  unto  thy  servants  !  How 
many  were  the  dangers  that  threatened  us  in  days  gone  by ; 
but  by  thy  gracious  aid  they  were  turned  into  salvations,  and 
calamities  which  well-nigh  had  overwhelmed  us,  were  made 


24  THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

new  evidences  that  Thine  is  the  power  to  humble  the  proud, 
and  to  exalt  the  lowly.  Display  then  to  us  who  worship  Thee 
in  our  captivity  the  same  grace  and  mercy  which  erst  Thou 
bestowedst  upon  our  ancestors  ;  and  let  thus  all  the  sons  of  man 
be  made  conscious  that  Thou  alone  art  the  God  in  the  heavens 
above  and  on  the  earth  beneath,  and  that  beside  Thee  there  is 
no  god!  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

Loudly  pealed  the  thunder,  and  bright  lightnings  flashed 
amid  the  terrific  clouds  of  gloom,  when  the  Most  High  lowered 
his  glory  on  the  chosen  mountain ;  violently  shook  the  earth, 
and  the  skies  dropped  down  water,  when  on  Sinai  the  law  was 
given ;  and  at  the  footstool  of  Divine  Majesty  lay  prostrate  an 
adoring  people,  lay  worshipping  an  awe-struck  nation,  when 
their  King  came  to  cause  them  to  hear  his  words.  It  was  then 
that  every  one  of  the  redeemed  multitude  beheld  the  evident 
tokens  of  divine  revelation,  and  heard  the  words  of  truth  pro- 
ceeding immediately  from  the  mouth  of  the  Holy  One ;  and 
they  felt  that  it  was  indeed  the  Almighty,  their  Creator  and 
Redeemer  who  had  delivered  them  from  the  tyrant's  power, 
who  now  spoke  to  them,  and  that  to  be  his  chosen  people 
meant  that  they  could  purchase  his  especial  favour  and  vigi- 
lance by  obedience  to  the  laws  that  were  promulgated  to  them 
on  that  day. — In  my  last  address,  your  attention  was  called 
to  the  extraordinary  circumstance,  (at  least  remarkable  to  Is- 
raelites, though  so  very  common  among  gentiles,)  that  the  priest- 
hood had  a  knowledge  and  religion,  differing  widely  from  that 
of  the  community.  The  former  had  access  to  the  temples,  fes- 
tivals, and  the  so-called  mysteries  of  their  innumerable  divini- 
ties ;  whilst  the  latter  were  excluded  from  all  participation, 
except  distantly,  in  these  matters.  A  religious  address  is  not 
well  calculated  to  enter  deeply  into  an  investigation  of  this  sub- 
ject ;  but  a  mere  cursory  reading,  even  of  the  history  of  the 
Romans,  Greeks,  Babylonians  and  Egyptians  will  satisfy  any 
one  of  the  correctness  of  this  assertion.  I  will  merely  extract 
from  a  late  popular  wrork,  by  no  means  favourable  to  revela- 
tion, a  short  description  of  the  Eleusinian  mysteries,  to  illustrate 
more  clearly  what  I  mean  when  using  this  word  in  reference 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  35 

to  heathen  rites.  "  These"  (that  is,  the  lesser  mysteries)  "  were 
afterwards  preparatory  to  the  greater ;  for  which  the  candidate 
was  obliged  to  fit  himself  by  religious  ceremonies,  symbolical 
rites,  and  various  acts  of  devotion,  the  design  of  which  was  to 
withdraw  his  attention,  at  least  for  a  time,  from  business  and 
pleasure,  to  keep  him  pure,  chaste,  and  unpolluted,  and  to  ex- 
cite his  curiosity  in  relation  to  the  expected  revelations.  The 
period  of  purification  continued  a  year ;  and  no  one  could  be 
admitted  to  the  mysteries  without  purification,  on  pain  of  death. 
The  ceremony  of  admission  was  performed  by  night :  the  can- 
didates, crowned  with  myrtle,  were  obliged  to  wash  their  hands 
at  the  sacred  threshold  with  holy  water :  public  proclamation 
was  also  made,  that  the  mysteries  should  be  approached  only 
with  pure  hands  and  pure  hearts.  Pure  Greek  only  was  to  be 
spoken.  The  celebration  of  these  mysteries  commenced  on 
the  fifteenth  day  of  the  month  Boedromion,  and  continued  nine 
days.  It  consisted  principally  of  representations  of  the  history 
of  Ceres  and  Proserpine,  the  tortures  of  Tartarus,  and  the  joys 
of  Elysiurn,  which  were  exhibited  in  the  most  striking  manner. 
The  chief  design  was,  by  sensible  means,  to  spread  among  the 
people  a  conviction  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  of  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  The  initiated  were  under 
the  peculiar  protection  of  the  gods,  and  they  alone  were  certain 
of  the  joys  of  immortality.  Very  different  from  these  lesser  were 
the  greater  mysteries,  which  contained  the  secret  doctrines 
that  were  the  chief  object  of  the  institution,  and  were  commu- 
nicated only  to  a  few  (the  Epoptae),  in  the  recesses  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. Secrecy  was  enjoined  under  the  most  dreadful  penal- 
ties. Divine  vengeance  and  death  were  the  punishment  of 
those  who  disclosed  them.  These  doctrines  probably  aimed  at 
the  explanation  of  the  popular  superstition  and  mythology,  and 
the  interpretation  of  their  true  meaning.  The  mysteries  incul- 
cated the  doctrine  of  one  God,  and  the  dignity  and  destiny  of 
the  soul  of  man  :  they  instructed  the  people  in  the  knowledge 
of  nature  and  of  the  universe,  and  pointed  out  the  traces  of  the 
Deity  in  the  beauty  and  majesty,  the  splendour  and  regularity 
of  the  visible  world." 

It  will  be  observed  that  whatever  of  superstition  and  pagan 
worship  belonged  to  these  mysteries  in  this  account  are  matters 

VOL.  in. — 3 


2G  THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

of  history ;  but  the  explanations  attempted,  so  as  to  refer  to 
them  a  higher  object,  such  as  unfolding  the  knowledge  of  one 
God  and  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  are  evidently  mat- 
ters of  conjecture  only,  and  may  be  assumed  to  have  been  an 
illustration  attempted  in  modern  times.  But  it  is  not  my  pre- 
sent purpose  to  enter  into  a  comparative  value  of  paganism 
farther  than  to  exhibit  the  nature  of  prophecy  as  it  existed 
among  the  ancient  Israelites,  the  predecessors  of  us  the  modern 
Jews. — You  will  have  observed  how  carefully  the  higher  know- 
ledge was  hedged  round  and  kept  concealed  from  the  multitude 
of  the  heathen  ;  the  people  had  to  be  satisfied  with  gross  super- 
stition, no  ray  of  purer  light  was  to  them  vouchsafed.  It  need 
scarcely  be  mentioned  that  all  this  necessarily  precluded  the 
revelation  of  the  existence  of  the  Holy  One,  admitting  even 
that  the  few  elect  knew  of  his  sole  existence ;  for  the  multitude 
worshipped  in  those  days  of  darkness  invented  absurdities 
which  were  a  personification  of  all  the  follies  and  vices  of  man 
in  a  barbarous  state,  and  war  and  petty  intrigue  were  boldly 
represented  as  the  pastime  of  the  Roman  and  other  deities. 
Whatever  of  prophecy  was  attempted,  in  order  to  fasten  yet 
tighter  the  chain  of  servitude  upon  the  necks  of  suffering  mil- 
lions, was  delivered  by  cunning  madmen  in  double-meaning 
words,  interpreted  by  priests  to  answer  their  own,  often  sinister 
views.  To  attempt  reaching  the  truth  was  held  a  crime  de- 
serving of  the  most  condign  visitation,  and  wo  to  him  who 
dared  to  lift  the  veil  of  the  Egyptian  idol,  death,  or  tortures 
even  worse  than  death,  would  surely  have  fallen  to  his  lot. 
While  thus  every  communication  of  the  Everlasting  One  was 
scrupulously  denied,  or  kept  a  profound  mystery  to  the  mass  of 
mankind :  it  pleased  the  God  whom  Abraham  and  his  descen- 
dants had  worshipped,  to  announce  through  his  chosen  mes- 
senger that  it  was  his  intention  to  descend  in  visible  glory,  yet 
with  no  visible  form,  upon  Mount  Sinai,  there  to  make  known 
to  all  the  people  those  laws  which  He  had  ordained  for  their 
government.  It  was,  therefore,  that  the  extraordinary  display 
of  the  Divine  Majesty  took  place  which  was  mentioned  in  the 
commencement  of  this  address,  and  from  the  midst  of  the  fire,  out 
of  the  bosom  of  the  thunder  that  shook  the  lofty  Horeb  to  its  base, 
were  proclaimed  doctrines  true  as  is  the  Creator  himself;  laws 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  37 

unchangeable  as  is  his  wisdom  ;  and  a  code  imperishable  as  is 
the  spirit  which  He  has  created.  Ay,  "  And  all  the  people 
saw;"  there  is  the  great  point  on  which  we  must  reflect;  it  was 
not  in  one  spot  of  a  distant  district,  not  in  an  obscure  corner  of  a 
remote,  unknown,  lonely  desert,  not  a  few  ignorant,  perhaps 
interested  men  ;  but  all  the  people  stood  by,  in  a  position  where 
every  thing  that  was  transacted  was  done  in  the  sight  and 
hearing  of  assembled  millions,  where  the  grandeur,  sublimity, 
and  transcendent  awfulness  precluded  the  idea  of  human  illu- 
sion and  deception.  Still  the  Israelites  stood  by  unscathed, 
unharmed,  alive,  listening  to  the  word  of  the  Omnipotent. 
Truth  was  inculcated  to  the  million,  superstition  was  over- 
thrown, not  to  the  chosen  few  in  the  recesses  of  a  time-worn 
temple,  but  to  a  new-born  people  of  sixty  myriads  besides 
women  and  children,  and  the  strangers  that  were  in  the  midst 
of  them,  on  the  green  oasis,  near  the  fertilizing  rivulet,  on  the 
wide  extent  of  the  plains  around  Horeb.  All  this  took  place 
contrary  to  whatever  had  been  thought  of  or  at  all  events  pro- 
mulged  unto  that  day  within  the  memory  of  men  ;  and  therefore 
did  the  Israelites  say  to  Moses  (Deut.  v.  21) :  "  Behold  the 
Lord  our  God  hath  shown  us  his  glory  and  his  greatness,  and 
his  voice  we  have  heard  from  the  midst  of  the  fire  ;  this  day 
we  have  seen  that  God  can  speak  with  man,  who  yet  may 
live."  Conviction  was  therefore  wrought,  a  conviction  which, 
despite  of  sinning,  despite  of  apostacies  innumerable,  despite  of 
persecutions  bitter  and  agonizing,  despite  of  allurements  tempt- 
ing and  destructive,  yet  survives,  that  to  God  alone  belongs  the 
government,  that  He  is  the  sole  Creator,  that  He  alone  is  Sa- 
viour, and  that  His  commands  are  true,  permanent  and  un- 
changeable. 

The  Unity  then  speaking  was  the  same  Saviour  who  had  by 
a  display  of  his  creative  power  redeemed  the  children  of  his 
early  adorer  from  galling  servitude ;  and  this  Saviour  who  had 
redeemed  their  bodies  from  bondage  was  also  the  same  Father 
who  promised  to  redeem  their  souls  from  earthly  pollution  by 
their  obeying  his  will.  For  what  says  the  text  of  Exodus,  xix. 
5,6?  "  And  now  if  you  will  hearken  carefully  unto  my  voice, 
and  observe  my  covenant,  you  shall  be  to  me  a  treasure  above 
all  nations,  for  all  the  earth  is  mine.  And  you  shall  be  to  me 


og  THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a  holy  people."  These  words  can 
bear  but  one  interpretation,  and  this  is  evidently  that  God  an- 
nounced Himself  as  One,  the  Creator  and  Governor ;  and  fur- 
thermore, that  holiness,  or  the  saving  of  the  spirit  from  pollution 
and  its  consequent  condemnation  and  unhappiness,  could  be  ac- 
quired by  a  hearkening  to  his  voice,  and  an  observance  of  his 
covenant ;  no  other  terms,  no  other  faith,  no  other  condition 
were  stipulated  ;  where  then,  why  then,  should  we  look  for  con- 
ditions which  the  words  of  the  holy  message  do  not  require  ? — 
But  what  is  meant  by  covenant  ?  The  covenant  of  circumcision 
had  already  been  given  to  Abraham,  in  consequence  of  which 
observance  the  Israelites  had  been  chosen  as  the  people  to 
•whom  God  would  fulfil  the  promise  made  to  this  Patriarch, 
that  He  would  be  their  God ;  and  now  to  add  to  this  covenant 
already  existing  they  were  told  the  duties  which  they  should  ob- 
serve in  order  to  lay  a  claim  to  the  appellation  of  "  God's  people;" 
that  is  to  say,  they  should  observe  the  covenant  of  the  Ten 
Commandments,  or  those  laws  which  the  Almighty  had  or- 
dained as  the  everlasting  statutes  which  should  govern  the 
people  whom  He  had  chosen.  The  only  article  of  belief,  from 
which  our  creed  so  called  is  merely  a  fair  deduction,  which 
was  asked  of  them  is  a  belief  in  the  existence  of  God,  the  Om- 
nipotent One,  the  Everlasting  One  who  had  delivered  them 
from  Egyptian  thraldom;  but  in' no  way  was  it  taught  that 
they  should  repose  their  hope  of  salvation  upon  the  intervention 
of  any  assistant,  human  or  divine.  For  human  beings  must 
like  themselves  be  fallible,  mortal,  sinful ;  and  no  divinity  can 
exist  either  dependent  or  independent  of  Him  who  is  our  God. 
Thus  instructed,  thus  convinced,  the  people  felt  that  the  living 
God,  let  me  repeat,  the  living  God  their  Redeemer,  had  indeed 
spoken  to  them  from  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  that  nought  but 
his  terrors  had  been  seen  from  the  midst  of  the  darkness.  And 
yet  they  had  been  permitted  to  survive !  how  were  the  delu- 
sions of  paganism  thus  swept  away !  how  were  the  bonds  of 
priestcraft  rent  in  twain  by  the  Giver  of  light  and  reason.  The 
object  of  the  descent  of  Sinai  was  thus  attained,  and  thus  was 
accomplished  the  intention  of  the  Lord  to  reveal  to  an  adoring 
people  the  basis  of  his  everlasting  covenant. 
t  Although  the  people  had  in  this  manner  been  taught  that  a 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  39 

man  might  hear  the  living  God  speak,  and  yet  be  preserved 
alive :  still  weak  human  nature  dreaded  to  approach  again  the 
great  fire  in  which  the  glory  shone  resplendent.  They  were  fully 
alive  td  the  truth  and  faithfulness  of  Moses,  through  whose  in- 
strumentality they  had  been  redeemed,  upheld  and,  so  to  say, 
been  brought  to  adore  at  the  footstool  of  the  great  Father. 
They  therefore  continued :  "  And  now  why  shall  we  die,  why 
shall  this  great  fire  consume  us  1  for  if  we  again  hear  a  second 
time  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God,  we  must  die.  For  did 
there  ever  exist  any  one  human  being  who  heard  the  voice  of 
the  living  God  speaking  from  amidst  the  fire,  as  we  have  done, 
and  remained  alive  ?  Do  thou  now  approach,  and  hear  what- 
ever the  Lord  our  God  may  say ;  and  do  thou  speak  unto  us 
all  that  which  the  Lord  our  God  may  speak  unto  thee,  and  we 
will  hear  and  do."  (Deut.  v.  22-24.)  This  request  was  not 
unpleasing  to  God  ;  He,  on  the  contrary,  deputed  Moses  on  his 
part  likewise  to  be  the  messenger  to  the  people,  and  thus  was 
the  son  of  Amram  made,  as  it  were,  the  representative  of  the 
people  before  the  Lord  of  all,  and  unto  them  he  was  the  me- 
diator for  the  communication  of  the  commandments  with  which 
he  was  charged ;  and  in  this  manner  was  the  law  of  Moses 
handed  down  to  us,  a  law  which  is  the  sequel  and  more  par- 
ticular definition  of  the  basis  of  the  covenant,  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, which  all  Israel  heard  on  Horeb. 

When  Moses  now  was  told  that  his  end  was  approaching, 
that  soon  his  body  too  must  be  yielded  to  the  earth,  that  though 
in  his  vigour  at  the  age  of  sixscore  years,  with  his  eye-sight 
undimmed,  and  his  intellect  unclouded,  his  hours  were  num- 
bered, and  that  notwithstanding  his  earnest  entreaty  to  see  the 
goodly  land  which  was  on  the  west  side  of  Jordan,  he  should 
die  in  the  land  of  Moab,  because  he  had  not  sanctified  the  Lord 
at  the  waters  of  Meriba  :  he  prayed  to  God  to  appoint  a  man 
over  the  congregation  who  should  supply  the  place  which  he 
under  heavenly  grace  had  filled  for  the  long  period  of  forty 
years.  His  wish  was  gratified,  and  Joshua  his  disciple  was 
endowed  with  the  divine  spirit,  and  guided  by  holy  wisdom  he 
led  on  the  Israelites  to  the  conquest  and  the  possession  of  the 
land  of  Canaan.  -But  in  addition  to  this  the  people  were  pro- 
mised, that  with  the  death  of  this  one  even  the  gift  of  prophecy 


30  Tin;  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

should  not  be  withdrawn;  but  that  from  time  to  time  teachers 
should  be  sent  who  should  speak  in  the  name  of  the  living  God 
and  the  everlasting  King.  This  \vc  are  taught  in  Deut. 
xviii.  15  : 


:  i"o  n"-  onan 


"  A  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee  from  thy  brethren,  like  unto  myself, 
the  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee;  unto  him  you  shall  hearken." 

Let  us  understand  well  what  was  promised,  for  upon  this 
depends  much,  and  it  is  necessary  that  we  should  be  able  to 
show  that  this  announcement  refers  to  no  other  character  than 
a  human  prophet.     In  the  first  place,  a  prophet  is  a  term  inap- 
propriate to  the  Divinity  ;  for  who  can  depute  Him  ?  in  whose 
name  is  He  to  speak  ?  who  is  the  superior  to  whom  He  shall 
be  accountable  ?    Farther,  "  from  the  midst  of  thee"  refers  evi- 
dently to  a  human  being,  one  like  the  people,  fallible,  mortal, 
sinful  ;  more  upright,  more  devoted  to  the  service  of  God,  if 
you  will,  but  nevertheless,  fallible,  mortal,  sinful.  Again,  "  from 
thy  brethren  ;"  who  can  be  the  personage  meant,  if  it  be  not 
one  from  the  seed  of  Jacob  ?  who  else  can  be  the  brother  of 
Israelites,  if  it  be  not  one  of  the  same  origin  ?     But  the  next 
characteristic,  "  like  unto  myself,"  must  banish  every  doubt,  if 
any  can  rest  on  the  mind  of  correctly  informed  and  correctly 
thinking  Israelites.     Who  was  Moses  ?  was  he  an  integral  part 
of  the  Divinity  ?  was  he  a  person  removed  from  the  rest  of  the 
world,  in  an  exemption  from  sorrow,  from  error,  from  death  ? 
did  he  act  of  his  own  accord,  in  working  the  mighty  deeds  of 
which  he  was  the  instrument,  from  an  inherent  power,  or  as 
the  delegate  for  the  time  being  from  the  One  Supreme  ?    Next, 
for  what  object  were  the  miracles  performed  ?  to  aggrandize 
one  ?  to  depress  another  1  no  ;  only  to  confirm  again  and  again 
the  minds  of  the  wavering  multitude  in  the  observance  of  the 
promulgated  covenant,  in  short,  to  establish  on  a  permanent 
basis  the  service  of  the  Lord  of  all.     We  may  maintain  farther 
that  not  to  atone,  not  to  save,  not  to  reconcile  a  sinning  world 
to  an  offended  God  was  Moses  deputed  ;  only  to  be  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  Lord,  and  to  distribute,  to  use  a  simile  from  out- 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  31 

ward  nature,  as  a  canal  enriches,  from  the  supply  of  the  parent 
river,  with  refreshing  waters  the  thirsty  soil,  the  benefits  with 
which  he  was  charged  to  the  people  to  whom  he  had  been  sent, 
and  ultimately  through  these  to  all  the  sons  of  Adam.  This  then 
was  Moses,  this  his  office,  this  his  prophecy.  When,  therefore, 
God  promises  one  like  him,  a  prophet  descended  from  Jacob, 
He  means  not  a  saviour,  descended  maternally  from  Israel, 
whilst  his  father  was  more  than  man,  sent  to  atone  for  the  trans- 
gressions of  Adam's  sinful  race  ;  not  one  through  whose  blood 
shed  for  mankind  they  could  alone  be  rendered  worthy  of  para- 
dise ;  but  a  messenger  of  tidings  of  good  or  evil,  one  deputed 
like  Moses  was  to  speak  in  the  name  of  his  Sender,  to  demon- 
strate the  truth  of  the  unalterable  law,  the  unchangeable  decree 
of  our  Lord ;  in  short,  to  instruct,  to  lead,  to  admonish,  to 
labour  in  the  holy  calling  with  the  zeal  becoming  one  so  emi- 
nently favoured,  in  order  that  his  brethren  might  turn,  repent, 
and  regain  the  favour  of  their  offended  God,  and  to  obtain 
again  through  obedience  the  happiness  which  their  sins  have 
taken  from  them.  And  continues  the  text :  "  All  as  thou  didst 
ask  from  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb  on  the  day  of  the  assem- 
bly, saying,  I  do  not  wish  any  more  to  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  my  God,  nor  see  again  this  great  fire,  lest  I  die,"  v.  16. 
The  people  had  asked  that  Moses  should  communicate  to  them 
the  decrees  which  might  be  revealed  to  him,  to  instruct  them 
in  the  way  they  ought  to  go ;  but  they  did  not  ask,  they  did 
not  think  it  requisite  to  ask  that  he  should  become  their  surety 
to  obtain  for  them  salvation ;  inasmuch  as  the  very  law  itself 
was  the  instrument  to  effect  this ;  because  this  was  the  sole 
object  of  its  promulgation,  as  we  are  told  in  the  words  of  Scrip- 
ture :  "  That  it  may  be  well  with  them  and  their  children  for 
ever."  (Deut.  v.  26.)  Indeed,  for  what  other  purpose  was  or 
could  the  great  display  have  been,  were  it  not  to  bestow  a  law, 
the  observance  of  which  should  confer  life  and  peace  ?  When 
therefore  God  promises  a  prophet  on  their  petition  and  that  of 
the  father  of  prophets,  He  evidently  could  mean  no  other  than 
had  been  asked  for,  a  deputy  to  certify  them  of  the  will  of  the 
Lord,  not  a  son  of  god,  to  use  a  phrase  foreign  to  revealed  re- 
ligion, to  atone  with  his  death,  inflicted  by  the  people  of  his 


32  THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

mother,  for  the  sin  of  Adam,  and  to  render  man  again  fitted  for 
admission  to  a  share  of  everlasting  happiness. 

I  have  deemed  it  necessary  to  be  more  diffuse  than  customary 
upon  the  explanation  of  a  text  in  the  Pentateuch  and  to  illus- 
trate it  more,  even  by  an  introduction  of  extraneous  matter,  than 
is  perhaps  agreeable  to  you  or  than  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
doing  hitherto.  But  observe  brethren,  our  religion  is  always 
assailed,  by  infidels  on  the  one  side,  who  would  gladly  destroy 
all  belief,  and  by  zealots  of  another  people  on  the  other,  who 
wish,  and  endeavour  to,  impose  a  creed  upon  us,  foreign  to 
our  faith,  and  not  consonant  with  the  Bible.  I  therefore  con- 
sidered it  my  duty  to  show  you  as  briefly  as  one  lecture  can  do 
it,  the  infinite  inferiority  of  pagan  knowledge  of  God,  even  as- 
suming for  it  the  highest  tone  which  unbelievers  ascribe  to  it ; 
and  then  to  prove  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  opinions  of  the 
people  among  whom  we  live  are  inconsistent  with  and  therefore 
repugnant  to  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God.  Not  however 
to  controvert  the  belief  of  others  or  to  make  converts  to  our 
mode  of  thinking  has  this  been  attempted ;  but  only  to  afford 
those  who  may  hear  me,  and  whose  hearts  I  trust  the  Lord  will 
fill  with  wisdom  to  understand  and  to  instruct,  some  argu- 
ments which  on  their  face  appear  unanswerable,  to  contend 
with  those  who  may  wish  to  invite  them  to  rebel  against  the 
Most  High.  Yes,  rebellion  is  the  word  to  denote  the  act  which 
we  are  called  upon  to  accomplish ;  we  are  told  to  forsake  the 
Rock  of  ages  for  a  deity  which  our  forefathers  knew  not,  of 
whom  the  Bible  does  not  speak,  to  whom  the  law  and  com- 
mandments do  not  even  allude.  Shall  we  yield,  brethren  ?  are 
we  to  be  wheedled  out  of  our  hope  ?  shall  it  be  said,  that  we  have 
surrendered  up  in  times  of  repose,  and  liberty,  and  enlightenment, 
and  equality,  that  to  which  we  clung,  ay,  clung  unto  death, 
when  persecution,  when  hatred,  when  oppression,  when  chains, 
the  rack,  the  scaffold  were  the  certain  doom  of  the  people  held 
forsaken  of  God  and  afflicted  ?  Or  are  perhaps  the  arguments 
now  adduced  stronger  or  more  cogent  when  held  out  flatteringly 
than  when  preached  with  the  fire  and  sword  ?  By  no  means  ; 
the  law  of  God  as  delivered  to  Moses,  free  from  human  admix- 
ture, stands  as  erect  at  this  moment  as  on  the  day  of  the  assem- 
bly at  Horeb.  You,  Israelites !  are  its  guardians ;  you,  sons  of 


THE  MISSION  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  33 

i 

Jacob  !  are  its  sentinels ;  it  is  your  inheritance ;  guard  it,  save  it, 
watch  it ;  hold  fast  to  its  blessings,  and  never  throw  idly  by  the 
gift  which  to  bestow  God,  your  Creator,  came  down  in  his  glory 
followed  by  multitudes  of  his  holy  angels,  to  bless  therewith  the 
people  whom  he  had  chosen.  Holy  are  its  statutes,  purify  your- 
selves through  them ;  life-bringing  are  its  precepts,  live  then  by 
obeying  them ;  instructive  are  its  ordinances,  become  wise  there- 
fore by  studying  them.  Yes,  live  in  and  for  your  faith,  and  ever- 
lasting life  will  be  your  reward ;  be  erect  in  your  captivity,  un- 
flinching as  the  defenders  of  Heaven's  best  gift,  and  the  glory 
of  Israel  which  is  dimmed  will  shine  again  ;  and  when  misfor- 
tunes befal  you  then,  as  misfortunes  are  the  trials  which  God 
wields  for  the  purification  of  nations  as  well  as  individuals,  Isra- 
elites will  truly  appear  the  people  of  God,  who  in  Palestine  and 
in  foreign  lands  remained  firm  and  true  and  devoted  servants  of 
Him  who  chose  them  because  of  the  love  He  bore  to  their 
fathers.  Thus  also  will  be  fulfilled  the  prophecy  which  was 
spoken  by  Isaiah,  lii.  10:  "The  Lord  hath  bared  his  holy  arm 
before  the  eyes  of  all  nations,  and  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall 
see  the  salvation  of  our  God." 

Father  above  !  give  us  thy  blessing,  grant  us  the  light  of  thy 
countenance,  and  give  us  peace  and  security  in  the  lands  of  our 
captivity ;  raise  up  also  again  unto  us  prophets  who  shall  teach 
us  in  thy  name,  and  pour  out  thy  holy  spirit  over  all  flesh,  as 
Thou  hast  promised  ;  all  nations  will  then  acknowledge  that  for 
our  sins  we  were  punished,  and  that  by  thy  favour  we  have  been 
redeemed.  Amen. 

Elul  2nd 
August  23d 


34 


DISCOURSE  IV. 

RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

O  THOU,  who  hearest  prayer,  to  whom  the  sincere  offering  of 
a  contrite  spirit  is  sweet  savour,  who  pardonest  the  sinner  and 
forgivest  transgressors  against  thy  holy  will,  when  they  in  re- 
pentance return  and  seek  thy  presence :  do  now  hear  our  sup- 
plication, and  have  regard  to  the  outpourings  of  the  heart  which 
ascend  to  thy  throne  from  the  thousands  of  assemblies  of  Israel 
in  all  the  places  of  their  dispersion !  Wash  them  clean  from  their 
iniquity,  cleanse  them  from  their  sins,  that  they  may  be  made 
whiter  than  the  snow.  And  write  them  and  seal  them  unto  life 
and  happiness  amidst  the  righteous  who  are  thy  beloved,  and 
remove  from  them  all  sorrow  and  affliction ;  that  they  may 
live  devoted  to  thy  service,  and  regain  by  serving  Thee  thy  fa- 
vour of  which  their  sins  have  deprived  them.  May  this  be  thy 
will,  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

Could  we  but  at  all  times  know  the  consequences  of  our 
contemplated  actions,  could  we  be  permitted  to  dive  into  the 
recesses  of  futurity:  how  often  would  we  hesitate  before 
we  acted,  and  would  leave  many  an  intended  action  undone. 
For  we  frequently  do  that  which  in  its  consequences  is  per- 
nicious not  alone  to  others  whom  we  sought  to  injure,  but 
also  to  ourselves,  when  we  only  thought  of  being  .benefited  by 
our  conduct.  Appearances  are  so  well  calculated  to  mislead, 
excitement  is  so  apt  to  blind,  interest  will  so  generally  deceive, 
that  guided  by  these  only  our  whole  life  would  be  nothing  but 
one  continued  scene  of  rashness,  its  consequent  misconduct,  and 
subsequent  regret  and  sorrow. — The  wisest  of  men  like  the 
most  foolish  is  liable  to  the  same  infirmities,  and  if  he  is  left  to 
judge  for  himself,  he  must,  acting  in  ignorance  of  the  conse- 
quences, very  often,  nay,  almost  uniformly,  choose  the  evil,  de- 
ceived by  the  semblance  it  may  bear  to  the  useful.  For  great, 
wonderful  and  far-reaching  as  is  the  mind  with  which  God  has 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 


35 


blessed  his  creature,  man,  still  it  is  but  the  field  in  which  the 
seed  may  be  sown ;  and  good  or  evil  fruits  will  be  the  product 
according  to  the  cultivation  which  the  fruitful  soil  has  received. 
But  how  does  the  agriculturist  cultivate  his  soil?     He  first  en- 
deavours to  enrich  it  by  mixing  it  with  substances  which  boun- 
tiful nature  every  where  supplies  to  restore  its  lost  vigour ;  he 
next  ploughs  in  order  that  the  loose  furrows  may  be  ready  to 
receive  the  seed  which  he  entrusts  to  the  bosom  of  the  earth ; 
and  when  the  germ  first  appears  he  watches  with  care  lest  the 
chill  frost  and  the  gust  of  the  storm  nip  the  tender  shoot ;  and 
even  when  growing  up  to  maturity  he  must  carefully  remove  all 
weeds  and  noxious  undergrowth  which  when  suffered  to  mul- 
tiply would  injure  the  developement  of  the  plant  by  their  hurtful 
presence.   All  this  done  he  must  leave  the  ripening  to  the  careful 
vigilance  of  Him  above,  who  sendeth  down  the  rain  to  refresh 
the  earth  and  the  warming  rays  of  the  sun  to  bring  all  to  ma- 
turity.    Even  so>  brethren,  should  we  strive  to  cultivate  our 
minds,  and  endeavour  to  reap  a  rich  and  blissful  harvest  from 
the  field  of  mental  cultivation  surrendered  to  our  charge.     You 
must  understand  that  in  our  natural  state  the  mind  is  liable  to 
receive  impressions  of  every  kind,  and  it  may  often  be  said  that 
a  wicked  man  might  have  been  a  good  one,  had  he  only  trained 
himself  or  been  trained  by  his  parents  and  guardians  in  a  dif- 
ferent manner.     It  evidently  becomes  therefore  the  duty  of  the 
superintendents  of  children  to  go  before  them  with  a  holy  ex- 
ample, in  order  that  they  may  early  behold  the  beautiful  effects 
of  piety  and  uprightness ;  children  will  soon  see  how  happy  this 
renders  their  parents,  and  naturally  enough  they  will  seek  to 
reach  the  same  state  by  emulating  those  whom  they  love,  and 
from  whose  kind  care  so  many  of  their  enjoyments  spring,  and 
who  generously  provide  for  all  their  wants.     When  the  child  is 
thus  prepared,  how  easy  is  it  to  awaken  in  him  feelings  of  grati- 
tude (so  to  say  plough  in  him  the  field  for  religious  seed)  towards 
the  great  Giver  who  has  enabled  his  bodily  parents  to  be  kind 
and  beneficent  to  him  f     Yes,  he  should  be  told  how  it  is  that 
all  the  beauty  of  nature  is  beautiful  through  Him  alone ;  how 
-He  makes  the  sun  to  shine ;  how  He  clothes  with  verdure,  how 
he  adorns  with  flowers,  how  he  blesses  with  fruit  the  field,  the 
meadow  and  the  garden.     That  every  bird  that  sings  amidst 


35  RKLIGIOrS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

the  new-clad  brandies  of  spring,  sings  by  Him  inspired ;  how 
the  cattle  that  low,  the  sheep  that  skip  in  exuberant  joy  on  the 
wide  spread  meadows  are  there  by  His  ordaining.     Tell  him 
when  the  dew-drop  glows  in  the  early  rays  of  the  rising  sun, 
that  this  resplendent  diamond  and  this  matchless  brightness  are 
scattered  from  the  hollow  of  his  hand  in  one  night  over  all  the 
earth;  yes,  fill  his  heart' with  the  vastness  of  the  Creator's  might; 
tell  him  that  the  bright  luminary  which  lights  us  by  day  never 
rests  in  his  course,  that  scarce  have  his  beams  sunk  to  rest  ap- 
parently behind  the  lofty  mountain,  when  from  the  summit  you 
see  them  illumining  the  land  beyond.    Tell  him — but  what  needs 
it  for  an  humble  mortal  to  recount  the  greatness  and  awful 
working  of  his  Maker  ?  can  we  reach  the  extent  of  his  power  ? 
Still  it  is  by  words  only  that  the  sensations  of  our  hearts  can  be 
conveyed  to  others ;  and  when  therefore  the  greatness  of  the 
Everlasting  One  is  the  theme,  how  does  the  heart  swell,  how  do 
words  come  involuntarily,  .how  does  our  soul  heave  forth  the 
psalm,  and  strive  feebly  to  confess  its  inability  to  chant  his 
praise !    Let  therefore  the  child  see  that  you  are  indeed  alive  to 
the  wonders  of  the  Creator's  deeds,  and  you  will  awaken  in  his 
youthful  heart  an  ardency  to  love  this  great  and  bountiful  Bene- 
factor, and  he  will  almost  involuntarily  ask,  how  he  should  act 
to  deserve  the  love  of  the  great  Adored.     When  the  child  has 
reached  this  point,  that  he  asks  either  to  be  taught,  or  appears 
ready  to  receive  higher  instruction,  you  should  inform  him  that 
the  Creator  is  loo  elevated,  too  supremely  blessed  to  require  the 
services  of  his  creatures  for  his  own  benefit ;  but  that  whatever 
they  do  will  be  for  their  own  benefit  solely,  if  their  conduct  meets 
with  His  approbation.     Be  explicit  in  this,  let  the  child  be  at 
once  impressed  that  his  piety  will  be  pleasing  but  not  servicea- 
ble to  God ;  that  the  performance  of  duties  was  therefore  given, 
that  every  human  being  might  at  once  know  those  actions 
which  must  be  beneficial  in  their  consequences,  be  this  sooner 
or  later,  to  him  and  others,  and  learn  to  avoid  those  that  are 
hurtful  if  even  their  first  appearance  be  harmless  or  at  times 
agreeable.     Thus  also  says  the  prophet  (Ezekiel  xx./  11,  12): 
"  And  I  gave  them  my  statutes,  and  my  judgments  I  made  known 
to  them,  which  a  man  is  to  do  and  live  through  them ;  and  also 
my  Sabbaths  I  gave  unto  them,  that  they  might  be  a  sign  be- 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE  37 

tween  me  and  between  them ;  that  they  might  know  that  I  am 
the  Lord  who  sanctifieth  them."  Let  him  understand  well  what 
is  meant  by  "which  a  man  is  to  do,  and  live  through  them;" 
that  it  is  nothing  else  but  that  a  strict  obedience  to  divine  be- 
hests will  give  us  inward  comfort,  outward  peace,  permanent 
satisfaction.  And  if  we  have  to  conquer  our  inclination  in  order 
to  render  obedience  to  the  judgments  of  God ;  if  we  have  to  un- 
dergo hardships ;  if  we  have  to  be  subject  to  loss ;  if  we  should 
be  exposed  to  the  contempt  and  hatred  of  the  ungodly  in  order 
to  follow  the  way  pointed  out  by  the  statutes  of  the  Lord :  we 
should  not  falter  in  our  duty,  but  remain  firm  and  unshaken ; 
resist  the  inclination,  for  to  follow  it  would  be  sinful  and  death- 
bringing  ;  we  should  think  lightly  of  hardships,  for  they  may  be 
readily  overcome  by  perseverance;  loss  of  worldly  things  should 
not  be  estimated  in  comparison  with  the  bliss  we  obtain  by  obedi- 
ence ;  the  contempt  of  mortals  should  be  valued  when  compared 
with  the  favour  of  our  great  Father ;  and  the  hatred  of  the  un- 
godly maybe  \vell  held  in  light  esteem,  when  we  reflect  that  we 
are  protected  by  One  who  is  powerful  above  those  who  lord  it 
over  their  fellows.  Farther,  that  this  course  of  steady  obedience 
will  bring  us  life,  and  that  the  opposite  will  cause  death  and  suf- 
ferings. 

Tell  the  child  also  of  the  beautiful  institution  of  the  Sabbath  ; 
how  the  Lord  himself  made  all  that  exists  in  specific  time,  and 
that,  when  all  was  finished  as  He  had  willed  it,  He  sanctified 
that  period  and  called  it  the  day  of  rest ;  that  He  could  have 
made  all  in  a  moment  of  time,  but  He  preferred  creating,  as  the 
Bible  teaches,  each  part  of  the  organization  on  a  different  day, 
but  that  He  absolutely  finished,  and  consequently  added  no 
more,  when  He  had  organized  nature  as  we  now  see  it  around 
us. — He  had  implanted  in  every  thing  a  power  of  continuing 
itself,  if  not  disturbed  by  greater  causes ;  to  the  earth  he  gave 
power  to  change  its  masses  by  heat  and  various  other  inherent 
agents  ;  to  the  water  to  rise  up  in  vapour  into  the  atmosphere 
and  thence  to  descend  and  make  fruitful  the  soil ;  to  plants  He 
gave  growth,  and  to  animals  the  power  of  motion,  and  to  man 
alone  the  faculty  of  speech. — All  this  organization  finished,  He 
viewed  it  and  found  it  good,  and  He  then  abstained  from  add- 
ing any  more  agents  and  impulses ;  and  from  that  time  until 

VOL.  in. — 4 


38  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

now  every  thing  has  been  proceeding  and  progressing  as  He 
had  commanded;  and  that  period  too,  when  all  had  been  finish- 
ed, called  the  seventh  day  of  creation,  lie  blessed  and  declared 
holy,  and  gave  it  to  his  noblest  work,  man,  as  a  day  of  abstinence 
from  labour,  and  a  day  of  recreation  from  toil,  and  devoted  to 
the  worship  of  the  Founder  of  the  universe ;  for  thereon  the 
sun  rose  upon  the  new-made  earth,  when  quietly  the  fishes 
played  in  the  sparkling  brook,  unterrified  by  the  angler's  rod  ; 
whilst  securely  the  birds  carolled  forth  their  Sabbath-hymn  in 
undisturbed  joy ;  whilst  peacefully  grazed  the  cattle  upon  the 
fresh  grass  of  the  wide-extended  pasture,  and  whilst  man,  inno- 
cent as  he  had  sprung  from  God's  creative  hand,  chanted  forth 
his  ecstatic  praise  to  the  Author  of  his  life.  Angels  might  stand 
by  and  be  thankful  at  so  great  a  display  of  goodness ;  for  there 
was  rest,  and  harmony,  and  good-will  upon  the  whole  sphere 
which  had  just  been  thrown  out  as  one  of  the  many  stars  that 
glow  in  the  firmament  of  the  infinite  space,  the  handy  work  of 
the  exalted  One.  Therefore  was  the  Sabbath  given  as  an  in- 
stitution to  prove  that  God  the  Greater  sanctifieth  his  children 
by  making  known  unto  them  a  portion  of  his  greatness,  and 
imparting  to  them  a  knowledge  of  those  things  which  will  make 
them  worthy  to  be  called  his  servants,  and  men  hallowed  by 
his  worship. 

If  you  yourselves,  parents  and  guardians !  worship  the  Lord 
in  your  hearts  ;  if  you  practise  in  your  own  persons  the  duties 
you  recommend ;  if  you  honour  the  Sabbath  from  violating  it ;  if, 
in  short,  your  children  see  in  your  conduct  the  reflection  of  the 
divine  law,  whose  precepts  you  impress  on  them :  is  it  not  then 
highly  probable  that  they  will  listen  with  cheerful  attention  to 
your  instruction,  and  give  ready  obedience  to  the  laws  you 
impart  ?  Most  assuredly,  and  children  thus  educated,  thus  led 
by  precept  and  example,  will  be  full  of  the  spirit  of  religion, 
ready  to  execute  from  a  pure  love  to  Heaven  his  all-wise  de- 
crees. For  in  youthful  piety  there  is  not  mixed  up  a  desire  for 
display,  no  love  of  renown,  no  fondness  for  worldly  gains, 
which  may  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  sway  the  actions  of  ma- 
turer  years  :  but  the  infantile  prayer  spoken  by  intelligent  lips 
that  know  no  guile  is  indeed  a  worthy  sacrifice  to  the  One  who 
is  purest  of  the  pure.  And  well  have  our  wise  men  included 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE.  39 

in  our  prayers  the  petition  :  "  Grant  our  request  for  the  sake  of 
children  under  tuition,"  for  with  them  is  found  sincere  piety 
coupled  with  understanding,  and  from  them  alone  can  grow  up 
undeviating  defenders  of  the  holy  law  ;  since  they  early  prac- 
tise the  religion  which  has  been  early  taught  them,  and  convic- 
tion of  its  truth  implanted  in  the  pure  soil  of  uncontamiriated 
reason  will  remain  unshaken  in  after  years,  when  the  turmoil 
of  life,  and  passion,  and  sorrow,  and  disappointment  sour  per- 
haps the  disposition,  and  almost  lead  us  to  despair  of  better 
days.  What,  I  ask  you,  will  then  uphold  the  stranger  in  the 
stranger's  land  1  who  alone  battles  against  adverse  interests  ? 
mistrusted  by  his  opponents  and  feebly  supported  by  his  friends  ? 
whence  can  he  derive  his  consolation  ?  Can  it  be  from  evanes- 
cent triumphs,  from  foes  vanquished,  from  difficulties  overcome, 
from  a  character  left  untarnished  though  assailed  by  the  un- 
godly 1  Surely  to  the  humble  in  mind  such  things  can  afford 
but  small  satisfaction ;  he  values  little  the  malice  of  men,  and 
lightly  he  esteems  the  temporary  triumph  obtained ;  and  were 
indeed  such  his  only  support,  how  soon  would  he  sink  into 
melancholy  and  listlessness.  And  suppose  his  enemies  were  to 
triumph,  (for  often  we  find  that  virtue  for  a  time  succumbs  to 
malice  and  cunning,)  what  then  is  to  cheer  him  but  the  holy 
hope  which  early  has  been  implanted  in  him,  by  an  honoured 
mother,  by  a  beloved  father,  by  a  revered  teacher  1  And  often 
the  shadow  of  an  early-lost  mother  will  rise  up  to  console  the 
son  in  the  hour  of  sorrow  and  bid  him  to  direct  his  eye  to  his 
God  who  never  sleeps :  the  admonition  of  the  father,  who  was 
perchance  early  taken,  will  recur  to  the  aching  memory  and 
counsel  him  to  steadfastness  in  the  righteous  path ;  and  the 
instruction  of  the  teacher  who  has  sunk  in  the  grave  ripe  of 
years  and  full  of  honours  will  be  ever  present  to  incite  him  to 
persevere  in  the  service  of  the  Most  High,  uninfluenced  by  fear 
of  the  world,  unswayed  by  the  hope  of  their  favour. — Those  of 
you,  brethren,  who  have  been  blessed  with  such  guides  as  I 
have  just  mentioned,  will  be  able  to  estimate  the  valuable  gifts 
that  have  descended  unto  you  through  them ;  and  you  will 
surely  not  hesitate  to  endeavour  that  your  own  children  may 
receive  a  similar  blessing  through  your  means. — In  this  manner 
yc  u  accomplish  the  high  obligation  which  the  Lord  demands 


40  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

of  you  with  regard  to  the  precious  souls  which  His  wisdom 
has  entrusted  to  your  care,  for  in  this  light  you  should  regard 
your  children,  as  a  trust  which  you  should  strive  to  deliver 
back  pure  and  unsullied  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  bestowed 
them  on  you. — It  is  accordingly  farther  demanded  of  you  to 
watch  the  growth  of  the  weeds  among  the  useful  products,  and 
to  eradicate  the  former  that  the  latter  may  grow  more  freely 
and  luxuriantly.  In  other  words,  you  should  keep  a  watchful 
eye  to  discover  with  every  day  of  advance  in  life  the  faults  and 
foibles  which  your  children  may  display  ;  do  not  compare  your 
well-informed  and  well-behaved  ones  with  those  of  others  who 
are  rude  and  bad,  and  thereby  extenuate  the  little  evils  which 
you  may  daily  witness  in  your  own  families.  Do  not  act  in 
this  suicidal  manner ;  but  check  every  evil  propensity  as  soon 
as  it  presents  itself;  punish  gently  every  departure  from  right 
and  propriety,  and  admonish  with  earnestness,  and  repeat  your 
holy  lessons  constantly  in  mild  and  persuasive  language,  till 
you  reach  that  happy  moment  when  the  conduct  and  thoughts 
of  your  offspring  and  charges  flow  in  the  same  devotional 
channel  with  your  own. 

If  all  this  has  been  religiously,  scrupulously  and  honestly  done 
till  they  have  reached  manhood  ;  if  virtue  has  always  been  en- 
couraged and  vice  ever  checked ;  if  the  fear  of  God  has  been 
made  a  household  duty,  and  His  adoration  the  daily  conduct 
of  the  seniors ;  in  short,  if  the  parental  fireside  has  been  the 
school  of  religion  :  then  alone  have  you  fulfilled  your  trust,  and 
then  alone  can  you  with  truth  assert  that  you  have  discharged 
your  duty  to  your  children,  and  then  alone  can  you  aver  that 
you  are  not  answerable  for  their  misconduct.  If  then  they 
disgrace  themselves  by  deeds  unworthy  of  the  example  and 
instruction  they  have  received,  you  will  not  be  punished,  nor 
will  the  displeasure  of  God  fall  upon  you ;  as  says  the  prophet 
(Ezekiel  xviii.  20) :  "  The  soul  that  sinneth  alone  shall  die ;  the 
son  shall  not  suffer  for  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  nor  shall  the 
father  suffer  for  the  iniquity  of  the  son  ;  the  righteousness  of  the 
righteous  shall  be  upon  him,  and  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked 
shall  be  upon  him."  It  will  appear  from  this  that  when  the  son 
acts  contrary  to  the  virtue  of  the  father,  that  the  latter  shall 
not  be  responsible ;  but  this  exemption  from  blame  can  only 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE.  41 

then  be  claimed  when  the  commandment  of  "  And  thou  shall 
teach  them  diligently  unto  thy  children"  has  been  carefully  ob- 
served. But  wo  to  that  parent  who  values  his  children  more 
than  the  glory  of  God,  who  reproves  them  not  when  they  sin ; 
for  then  he  is  accountable  for  all  their  transgression,  since  he 
could  have  guided  them,  and  yet  neglected  his  trust.  For  thus 
we  read  in  1  Samuel  iii.  11-14:  "And  the  Lord  said  to 
Samuel,  Behold  I  will  do  a  thing  in  Israel,  so  that  both  the  ears 
of  every  one  that  heareth  it  shall  tingle.  On  that  day  I  will 
fulfil  unto  Eli  all  that  I  have  spoken  concerning  his  house ; 
when  I  begin,  and  also  make  an  end.  I  now  tell  him,  that  I 
will  judge  his  house  for  ever,  because  of  the  iniquity  of  his 
knowing  that  his  sons  behaved  vilely  and  he  chid  them  not." 
We  are  told  in  the  same  book  how  lamentable  \vas  the  end  of 
Eli's  sons  and  of  himself,  and  how  just  was  the  retribution  in- 
flicted upon  the  priests  who  dishonoured  by  their  misconduct 
the  temple  and  sacrifices  of  the  Lord,  and  of  the  father  who 
from  love  to  them  winked  at  their  misdeeds. 

We  have  thus  exhibited  both  the  duty  and  manner  of  mental 
culture ;  and  minds  trained  in  this  manner  can  alone  be  said 
to  be  in  a  proper  state  for  influencing  good  and  useful  conduct. 
For  a  person  who  has  been  early  taught  to  look  towards  the 
law  of  God  for  advice  and  countenance ;  who  has  been  firmly 
impressed  that  all  its  commandments  are  useful  and  of  bene- 
ficial tendency ;  who  firmly  believes  that  the  Maker  does  all 
for  our  ultimate  good,  even  those  things  which  we  mourn  over 
at  times  as  afflictions  and  sorrows :  such  a  one,  I  say,  can 
seldom  be  induced  to  do  aught  hurtful  to  himself  or  his  neigh- 
bours, that  is  to  say,  he  will  practise  virtue,  and  thus  do  nothing 
which  can  in  reality  be  termed  injurious.  For  if  he  deprives 
himself  of  superfluities  in  order  to  assist  those  who  need  his  ser- 
vices, what  does  he  lose  thereby  ?  If  he  voluntarily  submits  to 
suspend  his  labour  on  the  days  sacred  to  the  Lord,  will  he  at 
the  period  of  his  death  miss  the  unnecessary  gain  which  he 
lost  by  his  abstinence,  even  admitting  that  his  wealth  should 
have  been  diminished  in  consequence  of  his  piety  ?  Say,  what 
can  he  suffer  if  he  watches  by  the  friend  who  languishes  on  the 
bed  of  sickness,  compared  to  the  blissful  satisfaction  he  thereby 
earns  of  having  assisted  one  who  so  much  needed  it,  even 

4* 


42  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

omitting  altogether  its  bearing  as  a  religious  duty  1  In  short, 
we  cannot  mention  a  single  deprivation  which  the  strict  obe- 
dience to  the  law  requires  which  can  in  any  degree  of  fairness 
be  termed  hurtful,  and  the  more  we  reflect  the  more  sincerely 
we  must  join  with  the  words  of  the  prophet  adduced  already : 
"  And  my  judgments  I  made  known  to  them,  which  a  man  is 
to  do  and  live  through  them  ;"  for  all  the  losses  and  sufferings 
such  obedience  brings  are  only  temporary,  and  the  mind, 
though  at  first  unwilling,  will  soon  rejoice  over  the  sacrifice 
made,  over  inclinations  conquered,  and  over  evil  intentions 
checked  in  consonance  with  the  will  of  God,  and  feel  a  happi- 
ness which  no  worldly  gain  can  bestow,  that  it  has  been  blessed 
to  avoid  a  long  course  of  regret,  and  to  earn  the  satisfaction  of  a 
conscience  unsullied  by  crime,  and  to  be  confident  that  the  Crea- 
tor will  look  with  favour  upon  the  deeds  of  the  work  of  his  hands. 
But  wo  !  when  the  decrees  of  Heaven  are  esteemed  of  no 
weight  in  the  regulation  of  our  conduct !  if  we  trust  to  the  de- 
ceptions which  the  outward  world  imposes  upon  the  senses ;  if 
we  prefer  riches  to  happiness ;  inclinations  before  the  law  of 
God,  the  creature  before  the  Creator.  For  then  the  road 
which  leads  onward  to  destruction  is  opened  to  us ;  every 
act  will  then  draw  us  to  a  greater  distance  from  the  favour  of 
the  Lord  ;  every  step  will  bring  us  nearer  to  the  brink  of  ruin  ; 
since  the  accumulation  of  wealth  by  means  not  permitted  by 
the  law,  the  acquisition  of  fame  by  trampling  upon  the  rights 
of  others,  cannot  shield  the  heart  from  the  consciousness  of 
being  unworthy  of  such  possessions,  nor  can  we  rest  free  from 
the  apprehension  of  divine  vengeance,  if  even  human  power  can 
be  laughed  to  scorn.  Or  say  that  empires  too  should  bend  be- 
neath a  sceptre  unjustly  swayed,  that  kings  should  bow  before 
a  usurper's  throne,  that  nations  glorying  once  in  their  freedom 
should  willingly  bear  the  chains  of  fortune's  favourite — will  this 
bring  ease  to  the  soul  torn  with  remorse  for  friendship  betrayed, 
for  the  innocent  slaughtered,  for  the  widowed  mother  rendered 
childless,  and  for  altars  of  God  overthrown  ?  Yes !  dignify 
crime  as  you  will,  let  .its  career  bo  ever  so  splendid  ;  still  you 
may  confidently  assert,  that  had  the  criminal  but  known  the 
end  of  his  doings,  had  he  been  permitted  to  look  into  the  dark- 
ness of  futurity,  surely  his  misdeeds  would  never  have  been 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE.  43 

done.  "  There  is  no  peace,  says  my  God,  to  the  wicked," 
speaks  Isaiah,  Ivii.  21 ;  and  from  the  prisoner  who  in  his  lonely 
cell  is  shut  out  from  all  intercourse  with  man,  up  to  the  tyrant 
who  tosses  about,  uneasy  on  a  bed  of  down,  surrounded  by  fawn- 
ing courtiers,  all  have  experienced  and  all  will  experience  to  the 
end  of  time,  that  virtue  outraged  will  be  avenged,  and  that  the 
broken  covenant  of  the  Lord  will  cry  out  for  visitation  against 
the  doers  of  evil. 

Still,  even  the  sinner,  though  he  has  wilfully  rejected  the  light 
so  graciously  given,  will  not  be  for  ever  rejected,  if  he  but  turn 
and  seek  the  Lord.  By  this  is  meant,  that  the  sinner  who  in  his 
misconduct  may  be  said  to  have  distanced  himself  from  his  God 
may  alter,  and  by  following  the  way  of  the  ordinances  regain 
the  favour  which  is  now  denied  him.  He  should  rekindle  in  him- 
self the  knowledge  of  better  things  which  was  impressed  on  him 
in  his  happier  years  of  infancy  and  youth ;  he  should  strictly  in- 
vestigate whether  his  own  deeds  can  bear  a  comparison  with  that 
standard  ;  and  if  he  find  that  they  cannot,  as  find  he  must,  when 
he  feels  that  he  must  stand  abashed  if  at  that  moment  he  were 
called  on  to  account  before  the  omniscient  Judge :  let  him  pour 
out  his  heart  in  prayer  before  Him  who  searches  the  heart,  and 
humiliate  himself  in  abhorrence  of  the  wickedness  he  has  done. 
Then  indeed  may  he  look  for  forgiveness,  if  he  sincerely  resolves 
and  firmly  perseveres  to  lay  aside  the  faults,  and  vices,  and  sins 
which  rob  him  of  his  peace,  which  but  too  much  evidence  that 
he  is  not  entire  with  God.  Only  let  him  not  despair  of  mercy; 
let  him  not  think  that  the  religion  of  Israel  revealed  in  the  law 
of  Moses  has  no  consolation  for  the  transgressor ;  for  reasoning 
like  this  may  sink  the  straying  one  yet  farther  into  the  whirlpool 
of  sin,  and  extinguish  perhaps  the  last  spark  of  religion,  and  in- 
duce him  to  become  an  apostate  to  his  faith  and  the  belief  of  his 
fathers,  and  seek  for  repose  in  systems  which  promise  salvation 
through  mediators,  or  in  other  words  an  atonement  through  acts 
that  are  not  his  own.  On  the  contrary  we  thus  read  in  Deut. 
iv.  29 : 


44  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  AND  REPENTANCE. 

"  And  you  will  seek  from  thence  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  thou  shall  find  him, 
when  thou  wilt  seek  Him  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul." 

In  this  verse  it  is  plainly  taught  that  a  seeking  of  the  Lord 
will  obtain  his  forgiveness  provided  the  penitence  be  with  all  the 
heart  and  with  all  the  soul,  that  is  to  say,  with  entire  sincerity. 
It  is  true  that  Moses  in  addressing  Israel  evidently  speaks  of  the 
entire  people,  but  we  are  fairly  permitted  to  apply  the  same 
promises  of  pardon  to  individuals  likewise.  Many  passages  of 
the  prophets  teach  us  emphatically  the  use  and  efficacy  of  re- 
pentance ;  but  we  must  at  present  pass  them  over,  and  merely 
select  a  few  striking  passages  from  the  Psalms  of  David  which 
clearly  teach  the  doctrine  we  have  advanced.  Psalm,  xxxvi..  5, 
he  says  :  "  Therefore  did  I  confess  my  sins  to  Thee,  and  would 
not  hide  my  iniquity;  I  said  I  will  confess  my  transgression  unto 
the  Lord,  and  Thou  dost  forgive  the  iniquity  of  my  sin."  Psalm, 
li.  6 :  "  To  Thee,  only  Thee,  have  I  sinned,  and  have  done  the 
evil  in  Thy  sight."  And  v.  19,  he  continues  in  positive  assurance 
of  pardon :  "  The  sacrifice  of  God  is  a  broken  spirit ;  a  heart 
broken  and  contrite,  O  God,  Thou  wilt  not  despise." — This  is 
the  doctrine  which  is  preached  throughout  the  Bible,  and  in 
every  instance  we  are  told  that  sincerity  will  not  find  the  gates 
of  mercy  closed  to  its  earnest  prayer.  Indeed  it  is  the  whole 
scope  of  religion  to  awaken  such  a  state  of  mind  in  our  people ; 
all  the  ceremonies  were  ordained  to  arrest  the  attention  and  to 
lead  back  the  unthinking,  and  even  the  unlearned  who  have  not 
been  blessed  with  an  education  as  we  have  attempted  to  de- 
scribe, unto  the  service  of  the  Most  High.  Hence,  the  institu- 
tion of  the  festivals,  and  especially  of  the  Day  of  Atonement, 
and  the  days  of  penitence.  Every  year  the  cornet  is  blown  in 
Israel's  dwellings,  to  proclaim  that  the  everlasting  King  yet 
reigneth,  and  to  call  back  to  his  fold  those  who  have  gone  astray 
on  devious  paths.  Loudly  arises  the  prayer,  sincerely  ascends  the 
hymn,  and  in  every  congregation  is  heard  with  one  accord, 
"  The  Lord  he  is  God,  the  Lord  he  is  God !"  Willing  and  un- 
willing, pious  and  sinner  all  join  in  the  loud  acclaim,  and  all 
attest  that  the  love  of  God  is  not  yet  extinct  in  Jacob's  descend- 
ants in  the  lands  of  their  captivity.  But  brethren,  let  the  wor- 
ship not  be  merely  for  the  day,  for  the  moment  of  enthusiasm ; 


OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW.  45 

let  its  workings  operate  for  every  hour  of  your  future  life ;  be 
animated  by  a  renewed  desire  to  be  good  and  faithful  servants, 
and  resolve  to  show  your  sincerity  by  a  vigilant  and  honest  ex- 
ercise of  all  the  precepts  which  were  ordained  for  your  happi- 
ness; then  indeed  will  you  be  accepted,  your  sins  will  be  forgiven, 
and  you  will  not  die,  O  house  of  Israel ! 

Forgiver  of  sins !  gracious  Father !  send  us  the  comforter, 
even  thy  spirit,  and  pour  out  over  us  the  spirit  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  and  open  for  us  the  gates  of  pardon  and  forgive- 
ness ;  and  ordain  our  portion,  and  the  portion  of  all  Israel  with  the 
righteous  who  have  done  thy  will.  Amen. 

E!ul29th 
Sept.  19th 


DISCOURSE  V. 

OBEDIENCE    TO    THE    LAW. 

FATHER  of  Israel !  unto  Thee  alone  we  offer  adoration;  Thou 
who  hast  been  from  the  beginning,  and  who  wilt  endure  to  ever- 
lasting. Thine  are  power  and  wisdom;  thine  are  might  and  un- 
derstanding ;  and  from  Thee  alone  are  the  powerful  strong,  and 
the  wise  endowed  with  wisdom.  Give  us  therefore  the  protec- 
tion of  thy  power  that  we  may  be  safe  and  sheltered  from  the 
attacks  and  snares  of  the  ungodly;  and  grant  us  the  light  of  thy 
wisdom  so  that  we  may  be  wise  in  knowing  Thee,  and  bow  with 
meek  submission  to  thy  just  decrees,  and  the  upright  judgments 
which  Thou  sendest  in  thy  world.  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

In  examining  the  law  of  God  we  find  different  words  used  to 
denote  the  commandments  which  it  contains.  So  one  class  is 


46  OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW. 

called  commandments,  another  judgments,  another  laws,  and 
another  again  has  the  name  of  statutes.  These  various  terms 
are  not  unadvisedly  used,  nor  without  proper  limitations.  So 
we  would  understand  under  commandments  those  enactments 
which  are  apparent  to  our  reason,  including  the  greater  part  of 
those  technically  called  the  moral  laws ;  necessity  and  conveni- 
ence both  demand  our  acting  accordingly,  and  human  reason, 
when  once  certified  of  their  being  the  will  of  God,  will,  if  not  too 
much  misguided  by  passion,  gladly  acquiesce  in  gaining  the 
favour  of  the  Lord  by  following  their  behests  strictly,  seeing  that 
in  obeying  God  in  these  things  we  at  the  same  time  promote  our 
own  interest.  The  same,  with  but  slight  variation,  may  be  said 
of  the  judgments  so  called,  or  the  judicial  law  of  Israel,  as  prac- 
tised when  the  nation  of  united  Israel  was  governed  by  the  equi- 
table code  of  the  divine  rule.  To  our  own  reason  a  close  inspec- 
tion will  make  manifest  that  they  are  based  upon  the  golden 
rule,  "  Do  to  others  as  you  would  have  them  act  towards  you ;" 
and  but  few  indeed  among  these  enactments  can  be  found,  the 
reasonableness  of  which  is  not  apparent,  if  the  circumstances  of 
the  times  and  of  our  people  are  drawn  into  consideration,  and 
which  are  not  even  to  this  day  the  best  adapted  for  the  happy 
government  of  a  free  and  enlightened  people.  For  the  more  the 
enactments  of  the  Mosaic  code  are  studied  and  carried  out  in 
practice,  the  more  it  will  be  discovered,  that  no  legislation,  pro- 
perly so  called,  of  equal  soundness  and  practical  usefulness,  was 
ever  devised  by  any  one  man,  or  any  set  of  men,  be  they  the 
wisest  that  ever  lived. 

In  the  execution  therefore  of  the  commandments  and  judg- 
ments no  particular  exercise  of  faith  can  be  displayed,  by  which 
I  mean  that  in  performing  either  the  moral  or  judicial  laws  we  do 
not  manifest  a  submission  of  our  own  will  to  the  wisdom  of  God. 
But  still  whilst  practising  what  our  reason  demands  we  are 
nevertheless  doing  our  duty,  we  obey  the  dictates  of  our  Su- 
preme Legislator  who  is  anxious  to  promote  by  his  benign  law 
the  welfare  of  his  creatures.  He  is  desirous  to  establish  peace 
and  good-will  on  earth ;  and  whatever  therefore  we  do  with  a 
holy  purpose,  will  be  acceptable  to  Him  as  a  manifestation  of 
piety.  But  religion  has  a  higher  scope  than  a  mere  utilitarian 
principle;  it  is  the  schooling  of  the  heart,  it  is  the  training  of  the 


OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW. 


47 


spirit,  it  is  the  government  of  our  desires  which  it  purposes ;  in 
short,  it  does  teach  us  to  yield  ourselves  entirely  to  God's  guid- 
ance; and  it  is  a  saving  faith  and  a  confiding  trust  that  are  neces- 
sary in  order  to  constitute  ourselves  servants  of  the  Most  High. 
What  then  is  a  saving  faith  ?  is  it  a  belief  in  doctrines  not  under- 
stood ?  in  imperfectly  conveyed  dogmas  1  No,  it  is  a  conviction 
that  whatever  God  asks  of  us  is  correct  and  true,  that  his  laws 
are  necessary  to  our  salvation  and  happiness,  both  here  and 
hereafter.  It  was  therefore  to  test  our  faith,  to  plant  the  love  of 
God  stronger  in  our  hearts,  that  He  gave  us  statutes  and  laws 
which  human  reason  would  not  have  arrived  at  by  the  most  pro- 
found study,  that  we  might  be  tested  whether  we  "  loved  the 
Lord  our  God  with  all  our  heart  and  with  all  our  soul."  It 
is  accordingly  not  to  be  denied,  that  many  of  the  statutes  of 
the  Mosaic  code  are  not  founded  upon  human  reason;  nor 
will  we  for  a  moment  maintain  that  it  is  expedient  even  to 
attempt  measuring  the  infinite  Wisdom  by  the  feeble  light 
vouchsafed  to  mortals  such  as  we  are ;  but  we  maintain  that 
in  this  consists  the  chief  excellence  of  the  Mosaic  rule  over 
any  other  which  is  the  invention  of  men  and  based  solely  upon 
human  reason  and  human  will. 

Let  us  examine  ;  the  statutes  and  laws  are  those  ordinances 
which  God  instituted  as  the  distinguishing  mark  of  his  people 
above  all  other  nations  of  the  earth.  He  ordained  that  we  should 
erect  a  sanctuary,  holy  unto  his  servic?,  where  He  would  come 
and  dwell  among  us.  The  regulations  belonging  thereto,  the 
order  of  the  service,  the  institutions  of  the  sacrifices,  the  conse- 
cration of  the  priests  and  Levites  were  all  such  as  He  chose  to 
appoint  them.  When  therefore  He  says,  that  such  service 
would  be  a  delight,  that  such  sacrifices  would  be  a  sweet  sa- 
vour, where  is  the  human  reason  that  can  gainsay  it  ?  Say  we, 
that  we  would  not  so  have  organized  the  holy  service ;  admit, 
that  more  pictorial,  more  statuary  effect,  more  elegant,  ravish- 
ing music  salute  the  eye  and  ear  in  other  worships ;  that  in 
other. temples  sweeter  incense  pleases  the  senses:  yet  all  this  and 
even  greater  refinements  superadded  would  convince  the  believer 
yet  more  that  a  holy  purpose  was  the  foundation  of  the  simple 
unostentatious  service  of  the  Lord.  He  preferred  to  dwell  in  a 
tabernacle,  elegantly  indeed  constructed — beautifully  wrought 


48  OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW. 

by  those  in  whose  hearts  God  had  placed  wisdom  ;  neverthe- 
less it  was  a  moveable,  so  to  say  itinerant  sanctuary,  and  during 
a  space  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  years  our  people  had  no 
other  resting  place  for  the  glory  of  the  Sovereign  of  the  uni- 
verse, whose  visible  fire  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  them.  Would 
human  wisdom  have  ordained  this  ?  can  any  one  be  hardy 
enough  to  assert,  that  a  cunning  deceiver  would  not  have 
dreaded  to  trust  his  system  to  so  contemptible  a  depository  in 
a  country  replete  with  refinement  and  elegance  ?  By  no  means  ; 
especially  when  Egypt  teemed  with  temples  of  yet  enduring 
splendour,  when  there  at  every  step  the  modern  traveller  is 
arrested  by  magnificence  and  wonderful  art  which  no  one  can 
even  dare  to  attempt  to  imitate,  much  less  to  rival.  We  there- 
fore maintain  that  in  obeying  the  laws  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking,  we  submit  ourselves  to  the  wisdom  and  guidance  of 
God,  who  chose  to  maintain  his  creed  and  faith  among  our 
nation  in  a  state  of  simplicity  almost  inconceivable,  whilst  hea- 
thenism fell,  though  supported  by  unequalled  splendour. 

Again  with  regard  to  statutes. — "  Remember  the  Sabbath  to 
keep  it  holy"  is  the  command  of  the  law ;  here  we  behold  God 
as  the  Author  of  our  life,  as  the  Rewarder  of  our  toil  demand- 
ing a  cessation  of  labour  on  the  day  which  He  claims  as  de- 
voted to  his  service.  He  tells  us,  blessing,  yes,  temporary 
blessing,  the  increase  of  riches  and  worldly  goods,  also,  shall 
be  the  consequence  of  our  labouring  less  than  gentiles  do ; 
would  human  reason  have  invented  this  ?  or  did  it  ever  do  so 
in  any  other  system  1  True,  the  Romans  had  the  feast  of  the 
Saturnalia,  when  the  slaves  were  free  from  labour,  and  when 
a  universal  merry-making  prevailed  throughout  the  land ;  but 
it  was  not  the  quiet  Sabbath  of  the  Jews,  not  the  silent  hilarity, 
the  finding  pleasure  in  the  Lord  prevailing  among  Israel.  With 
us  labour  ceased  before  the  sun  sunk  to  rest  on  the  sixth  day 
of  every  week  ;  see  on  the  western  horizon  the  light  of  day  is 
fast  winging  its  course  to  the  depth  of  ocean's  wastes ;  from 
the  pastures  the  lowing  herds  wend  their  way  to  the  welcome 
enclosure  ;  the  sheep  bleating  and  joyous  seek  the  fold ;  and  the 
ploughman  arrests  the  busy  plough ;  the  harvester's  sickle  is 
swung  no  more,  and  stops  the  hand  of  the  active  vinedresser. 
All  is  at  rest,  whilst  yet  the  feathered  songsters  have  not  ceased 


OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW.  49 

their  song,  whilst  yet  they  have  not  sought  their  downy  nest. 
Say,  what  cause.s  this  repose  ?  is  the  labourer's  hand  palsied '( 
falters  the  husbandman  in  his  toil  1  is  it  sloth  that  pervades  the 
land-?  no!  hear  the  psalm  arising,  from  towns,  from  villages, 
from  hamlets,  from  the  desert  plain  ;  all  join  in  melodious 
hymns,  all  hearts  are  overflowing,  every  tongue  utters  praise, 
shouting  forth  "  A  psalm  and  song  for  the  Sabbath  day."  The 
household  too  is  newly  arranged,  the  table  decked  with  the 
bright  linen,  the  work  of  the  industrious  housewife,  who  awaits 
the  return  of  the  father,  husband,  and  son  ;  and  over  the  festive 
board  the  Lord's  name  is  blessed  who  has  given  rest  to  his 
people  Israel.  At  length  all  is  gloorn ;  the  sun  has  set,  the 
night  has  spread  its  dusky  mantle  over  wearied  creation ;  but 
no  sound  of  revelry,  no  clanging  of  instruments,  no  noisy  shouts 
disturb  the  peaceful  ear ;  for  the  bondman,  though  now  free, 
rejoices  too  with  the  household  in  quiet  retirement  the  return 
of  the  weekly  rest. — The  day  has  now  dawned  ;  and  over  hill 
and  valley  slowly  the  light  is  stealing  ;  but  it.  meets  not  the  ox 
at  the  plough,  nor  the  ass  toiling  under  his  burden  ;  no  armour 
clashes  ;  the  forge  sends  not  forth  the  curling  smoke ;  and  not 
is  heard  as  wont  the  hammer  of  the  artisan ;  but  unto  the 
places  where  the  law  is  proclaimed  all  the  people  go,  and  listen 
to  the  instruction  which  has  been  vouchsafed  them,  and  they 
learn  each  to  value  himself,  not  in  being  richer,  wiser  or  more 
powerful  than  his  neighbour,  but  in  obtaining  a  greater  share 
of  the  fear  and  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  the  Father  and  King  of 
his  people.  So  it  is  in  all  the  land ;  quiet,  and  order,  and 
peace,  and  tranquillity  reign  all  around  ;  but  even  in  the  temple 
the  service  is  simpler  than  in  other  days  of  the  week ;  not  to- 
day do  you  behold  crowds  of  people  bringing  their  burnt-offer- 
ings, their  peace,  their  sin  and  their  trespass-offering  to  the  house 
of  God ;  for  only  the  daily  sacrifices  and  the  additional  offering 
of  two  lambs  for  the  Sabbath  are  led  to  the  altar,  and  over  the 
sanctuary  as  over  all  the  land  hangs  the  shield  of  the  holy  rest — 
a  rest  in  which  no  heathens  rejoice,  a  Sabbath  in  which  the 
uncircumcised  have  no  share  nor  portion.  Is  this  an  institution  of 
human  invention?  or  did  human  cunning  devise  the  day  of  rest? 
no  !  it  is  the  wisdom  of  God  that  ordained  it,  it  is  the  all-wise 
One  who  wishes  so  to  refresh  by  bodily  rest  and  mental  culture 
VOL.  in. — 5 


50  OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW. 

his  servants,  to  lit  them  to  pursue  their  allotted  toil,  resigned 
to  his  will,  content  with  their  portion.  For  see,  in  our  Sabbath 
the  prince  and  slave,  the  philosopher  and  labourer,  the  man  and 
the  beast  of  burden  all  alike  participate  ;  and  when  we  resort  to 
the  house  of  God  to  serve  Him,  the  pomp,  the  pride,  the  retinue 
of  vehicles  and  of  anxious  servants  must  be  left  behind,  for  not 
the  horse  is  to  carry  the  owner,  nor  is  the  servant  to  do  servile 
work  for  his  master  on  that  day.  The  king  therefore,  should 
he  come  hither,  must  walk  amid  the  crowd  of  worshippers 
who  appear  before  the  great  King,  and  in  nothing  can  he  claim 
any  distinction  above  them  except  he  be  a  truer  Servant  of,  and 
more  intelligent  in  knowing  his  Master,  the  Lord  of  all. 

If  now  we  must  admit  that  human  reason  would  not  have 
set  apart  one  entire  day  for  rest  and  a  total  abstinence  from 
labour :  it  will  nevertheless  be  apparent,  that  this  institution  is 
eminently  calculated  to  promote  a  strong  reliance  upon  the 
Lord ;  inasmuch  as  it  will  present  itself  as  a  day  of  leisure  to 
the  whole  community;  and  their  welfare  as  a  mass  will  be 
greatly  increased  if  they,  with  one  accord,  pretermitting  their 
daily  toil,  resort  to  the  houses  of  worship  to  acknowledge  that 
they  are  all  servants,  receivers  of  benefits,  children  in  their  great 
Father's  world,  scholars  in  their  Teacher's  school;  if  they  de- 
vote this  day  to  rest,  because  the  Lord  of  their  labour  bids  them 
rest ;  if  they  listen  to  instruction  because  their  Master  teaches, 
and  rely  for  blessing  during  their  cessation  of  labour,  because 
the  Father  who  never  deceives,  promises  them  eternal  delight, 
if  they  restrain  their  foot  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  execute  not 
their  desires  on  the  holy  day  of  the  Lord. — It  need  riot  be  told 
you  that  the  Sabbath  was  ordained  to  commemorate  the  crea- 
tion and  the  going  out  of  Egypt ;  because  your  reading  of  the 
Bible  has  informed  you  thereof  full  often,  nay,  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, familiar  to  you  from  early  childhood,  lay  it  down 
as  a  reason,  "  And  remember  that  thou  hast  been  a  servant  in 
Egypt."  Besides  this,  the  subject  has  before  this  been  presented 
to  your  consideration.  I  intend  to-day  merely  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  fact,  that  the  laws  not  founded  upon  human 
.reason  were  given  as  trials  of  faith,  as  a  binding  of  fhe  people 
to  God.  So  then,  when  we  are  told  that  any  act  is  the  will  of 
God  to  be  done,  another  one  to  be  left  undone,  we  should  not 


OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW.  51 

hesitate  in  obedience,  nor  falter  in  our  duty;  but  we  should 
surrender  our  own  judgment,  necessarily  circumscribed  by 
worldly  views  and  limits,  to  the  all-searching  wisdom  of  God, 
whose  eye  ranges  over  all  nature,  in  the  elevated  heights,  and 
in  the  unsearchable  depths.  He  is  the  sole  Arbiter  of  what  is 
reasonable,  of  what  is  useful,  and  what  is  hurt-bringing.  He 
knows  the  connection  of  things,  and  asks  nothing  which  is 
really  injurious  to  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  world. — But, 
besides  all  this,  the  creature  as  such  owes  something  to  the 
Creator,  otherwise  there  would  be  no  divine  rule  on  earth. 
Great  acts  of  charity,  of  towering  benevolence,  of  wide-spread- 
ing philanthropy  are  not  within  the  range  of  every  man,  nor 
always  within  the  daily  scope  of  even  the  wise  and  highly  en- 
dowed. But  acts  of  devotion,  abstaining  from  things  prohibited, 
the  devoting  of  the  heart  to  divine  instruction,  the  acquiescence 
in  divine  mandates  are  daily  and  hourly  within  the  power  of 
every,  even  the  humblest  individual ;  and  the  little  prayer 
breathed  before  we  enjoy  the  Creator's  gift ;  the  revenge  we  sup- 
press because  of  the  Creator's  will ;  the  food  we  leave  untasted 
because  the  Creator  calls  it  unclean ;  the  scroll  we  affix  to 
the  post,  because  it  contains  the  Creator's  word ;  the  priestly 
blessing  we  receive,  because  it  is  the  Creator's  benediction  ; — 
all  acts,  in  short,  of  devotion,  all  restraining  of  the  desires  even 
in  minute  things — all  purify  the  heart,  all  elevate  the  spirit;  and 
with  the  faithful  therefore  the  whole  life  is  one  series  of  acts  of 
devotion,-  one  continual  scene  of  piety  displayed ;  and  even  the 
ordinary  acts  of  life  then  become,  as  also  the  pursuit  of  our 
daily  avocations,  a  part  and  an  integral  portion  of  the  service 
of  the  Most  High,  and  the  domestic  fireside,  the  wide  ocean, 
the  shady  forest,  the  couch  of  sickness,  the  nuptial  feast,  the 
mourner's  dwelling,  as  well  as  the  churches  and  schools  of  re- 
ligion, are  then  converted  into  temples  of  the  Holy  One,  who 
dwelleth  in  the  heart  of  those  that  are  faithful  and  true.  "  It 
is  the  heart  the  merciful  One  requires,"  say  our  wise  men,  that 
is  to  say,  in  order  to  be  religious  we  should  feel  the  devotion 
which  we  outwardly  profess ;  our  lives  should  be  consistent, 
and  by  no  act,  word  or  thought  should  we  ever  dare  to  profane 
the  name  of  God.  But  on  the  contrary  we  should  receive  all 
the  commandments,  being,  as  they  actually  are,  the  emanations 


52  OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW. 

of  the  same  Wisdom,  as  equally  obligatory,  nor  should  we  ever 
dare  to  offend  against  either  of  them,  or  question  their  \visdom 
or  usefulness.     For  if  \ve  do  the  latter,  are  we  not  in  fact  set- 
ting up  our  judgment  above  the  wisdom  of  God  ?  do  we  not,  if 
we  rebel,  exalt  ourselves  above  our  Maker?  say  we  not  by  our 
conduct :  "  Depart  thou  from   us !"  if  we  neglect  the  duties 
which  He  thinks  proper  to  prescribe  for  us  1     And  yet  persons 
call  themselves  religious,  lovers  of  God,  who  select  and  choose 
the  duties  they  wish  to  perform,  rejecting  some  as  unwise, 
others  as   useless ;  they  honour  God,  but  cannot  put  faith  in 
Him  ;  they  read  his  law,  but  know  not  the  sabbathic  rest ;  they 
are  certified,  "  And  my  covenant  shall  be  in  your  flesh  for  an 
everlasting  covenant,"  yet  they  neglect  circumcision  ;  they  are 
told,  "  You  shall  be  to  me  a  holy  people,"  yet  they  defile  them- 
selves by  the  flesh  of  the  swine  and  the  creeping  things  of  the 
earth  ;  they  are  taught,  "  And  thou  shalt  teach  the  word  care- 
fully to  thy  children,"  yet  they  suffer  their  offspring  to  grow  up 
in  ignorance  of  the  law  of  the  Lord  ;  they  are  warned  against, 
"  And  thou  shalt  not  intermarry  with  them,"  and  still  with  pro- 
fessions of  religion  on  their  lips,  they  seek  the  embrace  of  those 
not  in  covenant  with  the  Lord.     It  is  the  deplorable  effect  of 
over-refinement,  of  the  wisdom  in  our  own  eyes,  that  induces 
us  to  debase  ourselves  thus  before  Him  who  searches  the  heart ; 
He  asks  obedience,  but  we  will  be  obedient  if  we  think  it  rea- 
sonable.    Wo  !  wo  !  that  such  should  be  our  folly !     To-day 
we  know  not,  in  our  self-conceit,  what  are  the  motives  of  the 
law,  we  are  ignorant,  and  therefore  reject  the  life-bringing  pre- 
cepts, because  of  our  ignorance  alone,  like  the  silly  patient 
dashes  from  his  lips  the  healing  draught  of  the  friendly  phy- 
sician that  might  perhaps,  with  Heaven's  blessing,  restore  him 
to  health  and  friends.     But  lo !  in  a  brief  space  our  eyes  are 
opened,  we  see  the  wonders  of  the  divine  law,  and  then  as 
transgressors  we  lament  too  late  our  wilful  blindness  that  refused 
to  be  led  by  divine  guidance.    "  God  has  told  us  what  is  good," 
and  Him  alone  we  are  to  consult  by  an  inspection  of  his  word ; 
nor  should  we  falter  because  of  the  unpleasantness,  the  danger 
and  loss  which  compliance  might  occasion.     We  are  God's 
children,  and  as  children  we  should  listen  to  advice,  not  like 
equals  dispute  the  point  of  right.     God  wishes  obedience,  not 


OBEDIENCE  TO  THE  LAW.  53 

repentance  ;  He  wills  us  to  hear,  not  to  atone  for  disobedience 
by  magnificent  gifts.  For  in  the  willingness  to  serve  alone  lies 
the  merit,  or  as  we  have  expressed  it,  in  the  yielding  of  our  own 
desires  and  wisdom  to  the  supreme  power  and  wisdom  of  God. 
This  also  we  are  tauht  in  the  Bible  :  — 


yvrh  DIZD  rraro  J;OB>  run  'rr  Sis 


no  oop  nxzon  »D 

"And  Samuel  said,  Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in  burnt-offering  and 
sacrifices,  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord  !  Behold  to  obey  is  better  than 
sacrifice,  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams.  For  rebellion  is  the  sin  of  witch- 
craft, and  stubbornness  iniquity  and  idolatry.''  1  Samuel,  xv.  22,  23. 

This  memorable  passage  occurs  in  the  history  of  Saul.  When 
Israel  went  forth  from  Egypt,  Amalek  lay  in  wait  for  them  on 
the  road  and  attacked  them,  when  they  were  faint  and  fatigued. 
When  now  Saul  had  obtained  dominion  over  Israel  he  was  sent 
to  slay  man  and  woman  and  every  thing  belonging  to  Amalek. 
The  decree  was  a  severe  one  ;  but  it  was  the  will  of  God,  and 
as  such  should  have  been  obeyed.  But  Saul  hesitated;  he  spared 
the  king  and  the  best  of  the  flock  and  cattle  in  order  to  sacrifice 
them  to  the  Lord.  When  Samuel  arrived  at  the  camp  he  was 
aware  of  the  delinquency  of  the  king  ;  but  in  order  to  bring  the 
sin  home  to  him,  he  engaged  him  in  conversation,  till  Saul 
avowed  his  purpose,  that  the  people  seemed  unwilling  to  execute 
the  command,  and  that  deferring  to  them  he  had  spared  the  flock 
to  make  sacrifices  ;  it  was  then  the  prophet  exhibited  to  him  the 
right  way  of  pleasing  God,  that  implicit  obedience  alone  could 
satisfy  Him  who  stands  in  no  need  of  our  services,  and  to  whom 
all  the  princes  of  the  earth  are  as  nothing  and  their  doings  as 
vanity.  Willingness  is  the  sacrifice  He  demands  ;  obeying  is 
his  incense  ;  but  the  presumption  of  judging  for  ourselves  is  a 
want  of  faith,  a  rebellion  against  the  Most  High.  —  Here  we  will 
rest  at  present;  and  let  us  well  ponder  on  the  awful  responsibility 
we  are  hourly  incurring  by  the  rebelliousness  of  our  spirit  and 

5* 


54  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

the  stubbornness  of  our  heart ;  and  O,  let  us  never — never — de- 
serve the  denunciation,  that  we  are  rejected,  because  \ve  de- 
spised the  word  of  the  Lord;  but  on  the  contrary  let  us  give  up 
our  heart  and  soul  to  an  absorbing  obedience,  to  a  filial  devo- 
tion, to  an  entire  saving  faith,  in  order  that  by  obeying  we  may 
receive  the  approbation  of  the  Lord,  which  is  the  greatest  good, 
the  highest  blessing,  which  frail  humanity  can  hope  to  earn. 

Father  !  teach  us  obedience,  assist  us  to  subdue  our  evil  desires 
to  thy  will,  and  lead  us  through  this  life  of  trial  shielded  by  thy 
wisdom,  that  we  may  awaken,  when  we  have  passed  the  por- 
tals of  death,  surrounded  by  the  light  and  that  happiness  which 
Thou  wilt  give  unto  those  that  fear  Thee !  Amen, 

AdarSth 
Feb. 


DISCOURSE  VI. 

THE    RESIGNATION    OF    AARON. 

SHEPHERD  of  Israel  hear !  God  of  Jacob  listen  to  our  prayer ! 
hearken  to  our  voice  from  the  lands  of  our  banishment,  from 
amidst  the  nations  where  we  dwell  cast  out  from  our  inheritance 
for  the  sake  of  the  transgressions  which  we  have  transgressed 
in  thy  presence.  How  long,  O  Lord,  shall  we  sigh  amidst  the 
gentiles  ?  how  long  shall  the  handful  of  Israel  be  given  up  to  the 
rule,  the  oppression,  of  their  enemies,  who  would  fain  devour 
them,  because  they  cling  to  thy  holy  name,  amidst  all  their 
wanderings  and  their  sorrows  ?  Arise,  O  God  !  and  display  thy 
holy  arm  before  the  eyes  of  all  nations,  and  "  sprinkle  us  with  the 
waters  of  cleanliness,"  as  Thou  hast  spoken,  "  that  we  may  be 
clean,  and  be  cleansed  from  all  our  filthiness,  and  from  all  our 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  55 

idols;  and  put  thy  spirit  within  us,  in  order  that  we  may  walk  in 
thy  statutes,  and  that  Thou  alone  shall  be  our  God."     Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 
We  read  in  Leviticus,  x.  3. 


'n  -OT  -it?**  Nin  pn*t    a*  wo 
:  prw  DTI  nroN  oyn  SD  os  Sjn  Bnp«  >:nn 


"Then  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  This  is  it  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken,  say- 
ing, In  them  that  come  nigh  unto  me  will  I  be  sanctified,  and  before  all  the 
people  will  1  be  glorified.  And  Aaron  held  his  peace,"  i.  e.  he  remained  silent. 

It  is  sweet,  when  we  see  a  man,  raised  high  above  the  level 
of  his  fellows,  guided  by  the  same  principles  which  govern  the 
less  favoured  ;  it  is  refreshing,  when  we  see  the  sage  drinking 
from  the  same  fountain  of  knowledge  which  invigorates  the 
minds  of  the  humble;  but  it  is  more  sweet  and  refreshing  than 
both  these  instances  combined,  when  we  see  the  holy  influence 
of  religion  exerting  its  power  over  the  bereaved  heart,  when  it 
has  consigned  back  some  spirit  held  dear  for  the  ties  of  kindred 
and  friendship  into  the  hand  of  its  Giver,  and  when  without  re- 
pining, it  yields  itself  a  resigned  sufferer  unto  the  Judge  who 
measures  all  our  steps.  It  is  truly  then,  that  the  servant  of  God 
rises  above  the  level  of  the  common  mass;  for  it  is  he  alone  who, 
feeling  deeply  the  infliction  of  God,  can  yield  himself  submis- 
sively to  the  decree  that  has  gone  forth  without  murmur  or  com- 
plaint ;  because  he  bears  that  within  which  teaches  him  that  it 
is  not  fitting  for  the  creature  to  dive  doubtingly  and  complain- 
ingly  into  the  ways  of  his  Maker,  altho'  the  chastisement  have 
fallen  on  himself.  —  A  notable  instance  of  this  kind  we  have  fur- 
nished unto  us  in  that  part  of  the  history  of  Aaron  which  we 
have  just  quoted.  Seven  days  had  elapsed  since  this  noble  Le- 
vite  had  together  with  his  four  sons  received  daily  the  consecra- 
tion to  the  service  of  the  Most  High  from  the  hands  of  his  pro- 
phet brother;  and  on  the  eighth  day,  which  had  then  arrived, 
he  had  been  first  installed  to  officiate  with  the  aid  of  his  sons  in 
the  Lord's  sanctuary.  The  people  were  all  assembled  ;  from 


56  T11E  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

the  altar  arose  the  smoke  of  the  sacrifices  which  had  been  insti- 
tuted as  the  perpetual  offering  of  a  grateful  people  to  their  be- 
nevolent Father;  and  the  chosen  ministers  were  the  chief,  who 
had  gone  hand  in  hand  with  the  renowned  prophet  before  the 
tyrant  of  Egypt,  and  spoken  the  message  which  had  been  sent 
to  demand  the  liberation  of  Israel,  and  the  offspring  of  his  loins 
whom  the  Lord  had  given  him.  Aaron  had  thus  indeed  re- 
ceived a  great  reward,  and  he  \vho  had  been  the  herald  of  the 
redemption  of  his  fellow  Israelites  was  fit  to  become  the  instru- 
ment for  the  expiation  of  their  sins  at  the  altar.  Besides  this, 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  was  displayed  before  the  people;  for  when 
Aaron  with  his  sons  had  come  down  from  the  altar  after  offer- 
ing the  sin,  the  burnt  and  peace-offering,  and  he  and  Moses  had 
blessed  the  people,  the  visible  presence  of  the  Most  High  was 
made  manifest  before  the  eyes  of  the  adoring  multitude,  and  all 
then  felt  that  now  indeed  they  were  reconciled  to  their  Father 
in  heaven,  who  deigned  to  dwell  in  the  humble  tabernacle  which 
their  own  hands  had  erected.  Can  you  imagine  a  moment  of 
greater  triumph  than  Aaron  must  have  then  enjoyed?  The 
everlasting  priesthood,  to  endure  unto  the  end  of  time,  was  his  ; 
the  representatives  that  were  to  possess  it  after  his  temporal  death 
were  before  him,  around  him;  the  people  for  whom  he  had  risked 
his  life,  for  whom  he  had  toiled,  for  whom  he  had  almost  incurred 
the  doing  of  a  great  sin,  had  been  purified  of  their  transgression; 
that  law  which  at  one  time  had  well-nigh  been  cast  off  for  the 
idol  of  Egypt  was  again  triumphant,  and  the  tables  of  its  holy 
covenanf  were  deposited  in  the  ark  under  the  shadow  of  the 
wings  of  the  Cherubim,  under  the  custody  of  himself  and  de- 
scendants. All  around  him  was  joy,  exultation  and  gladness ; 
the  people  shouted  when  the  fire  came  down  upon  the  altar  and 
consumed  the  sacrifices  and  the  fat,  and  all  fell  upon  their  faces 
and  worshipped.  Here  then  was  the  consummation  of  all  his 
hopes,  of  all  his  desires;  and  onward  seemed  the  march  of  the 
nation  to  the  holy  land,  there  to  erect  unto  everlasting  the  sanc- 
tuary and  the  worship  of  the  God  of  truth.  Did  he  dream  of 
sorrow?  was  his  heart  awake  to  the  terrible  bereavement  that 
was  impending? — O  no,  he  was  secure  in  his  confidence,  he  felt 
free  from  all  care  and  apprehension ;  still  at  that  very  moment 
two  of  his  sons,  the  first-born  and  his  brother,  presumed  to  enter 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  57 

the  tabernacle  with  strange  fire,  which  God  had  not  commanded ; 
they  added  to  the  commandment,  which  was  not  to  be  aug- 
mented or  diminished  under  pain  of  death;  they  wished  to  offer 
more  incense  than  the  mere  handful  which  the  decree  of  the  Lord 
demanded;  perhaps,  in  imitation  of  the  heathens,  they  desired  to 
fill  the  house  of  the  Creator  with  the  sweet  incense,  the  cloud  of 
aromatic  herbs,  the  products  perhaps  of  the  happy  Araby  and 
the  distant  India.  But  this  strange  sacrifice  was  not  pleasing, 
because  it  had  not  been  ordained,  and  a  fire  went  out  and 
destroyed  their  life,  even  whilst  they  were  in  the  sanctuary. 
Here  then  lay  the  hopes  of  Aaron  blighted ;  the  sons,  in  whom  he 
had  confided  and  who  were  to  assist  and  to  succeed  him,  had  in 
the  moment  of  wanton  forgetfulness  of  the  law,  the  chosen  minis- 
ters of  which  they  had  been  appointed,  forfeited  their  lives,  they 
had  died  the  death  of  transgressors  against  the  majesty  of  the 
Lord.  He  had  sunk  from  the  height  of  exultation,  from  the  pinna- 
cle of  happiness,  into  the  depth  of  sorrow  and  anguish ;  the  shout 
of  the  people's  joy  was  changed  into  the  sound  of  wailing  and 
regret,  because  of  the  burning  which  the  Lord  had  burned. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  Moses  approached  his  mourning 
brother,  and  said  to  him:  "This  is  it  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken, 
saying,  In  them  that  come  nigh  unto  me  will  I  be  sanctified,  and 
before  all  the  people  will  I  be  glorified;"  meaning,  that  from  those 
who  have  received  the  greater  light  the  greater  responsibility 
will  be  required ;  the  nearer  man  approaches  to  his  Maker  the 
more  energetically  will  his  faults  be  punished.  God  is  no  Re- 
specter of  persons;  He  knows  no  distinction  between 'his  crea- 
tures ;  He  observes  the  ways  of  all ;  He  cares  for  all ;  He  pro- 
vides for  all.  But  as  order  is  Heaven's  first  law,  it  is  necessary 
that  there  should  be  degrees  among  mankind,  that  there  be  some 
exalted  above  their  fellows  by  the  greater  gift  of  riches,  of 
power,  and  of  wisdom,  in  order  that  they  all  may  be  made  in- 
strumental in  the  proper  government  of  the  world.  It  was 
therefore  so  ordained,  that  in  proportion  to  the  endowment, 
should  be  the  accountability,  that  it  may  be  proved  to  the  com- 
prehension of  every  son  of  man  that  the  Supreme  Judge  is  good 
alike,  and  just  alike  to  all,  and  that  the  gifts  He  bestows  are  not 
to  be  regarded  as  the  exclusive  property  of  the  actual  possessor, 
but  as  the  means  to  distribute  the  benefits  which  may  be  derived 


.58  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

from  them,  as  the  almoner  of  his  Creator,  among  those  of  his  fel- 
low-creatures who  come  within  the  sphere  of  his  action.  It  is  true 
that  God  could  have  created  all  men  alike,  both  physically  and 
mentally ;  but  then,  there  would  have  been  no  order  or  subordina- 
tion, because  all  being  alike  (something  different  from  equal)  no 
one  would  have  been  willing  to  obey,  and  every  one  would  have 
been  anxious  to  command.  As  things  now  are,  we  find  enough 
of  contention ;  how  much  more  had  the  gifts  of  the  Supreme 
been  alike  bestowed,  unless  man  should  cease  to  be  man,  a  mix- 
ture of  good  and  evil !  If  therefore  the  man  in  authority  trans- 
gresses, he  transgresses  not  only  for  himself,  that  is,  he  does  not 
only  sin  as  an  individual,  but  he  transgresses  also  for  the  people, 
his  sin  becomes  an  example,  a  stone  of  hinderness  to  the  subordi- 
nate and  the  less  learned.  Altho'  therefore,  it  may  be  said,  that 
all  mankind  are  alike  bound  by  the  same  religion,  there  is 
still  an  additional  obligation  of  more  particular  care  imposed 
upon  those  prominent  either  by  station  or  intellect;  they  are  to 
guide  unto  good,  and  give  no  cause  for  offence  to  the  general 
multitude.  They,  therefore,  who  like  Nadab  and  Abihu,  the 
sons  of  Aaron,  are  selected  from  among  the  people  to  stand  in 
behalf  of  them  before  the  Lord,  should  expect  to  receive  instant 
and  condign  punishment  for  every  great  fault  they  are  guilty  of, 
for  the  reason  that  the  Lord  may  be  sanctified  by  the  visitation 
which  they,  as  those  nearer  to  the  Creator,  receive,  and  that 
all  the  people  may  glorify  the  even-handed  justice  which  is 
meted  out  to  the  lowly  both  and  the  exalted. 

It  was  this  point  which  Moses  meant  to  impress  upon  his  bro- 
ther; he  offered  him  no  common-place  consolation,  he  did  not 
tell  him  not  to  grieve  for  the  loss  of  his  sons;  but  he  called  his 
attention  to  the  fact,  that  it  was  a  just  visitation  of  their  God 
whose  law  the  slain  ones  had  transgressed,  and  that  it  was  for 
the  glorification  of  his  justice  that  they  were  taken  at  the  mo- 
ment of  their  sinning;  because  their  having  been  called  to  come 
nigh  unto  the  Lord  should  have  taught  them  that  it  was  their 
duty  to  be  very  careful,  how  they  fulfilled  their  ministry,  not  by 
regarding  it  as  having  been  given  for  their  own  gratification, 
not  by  exhibiting  themselves  as  raised  above  the  law,  but  by 
displaying  a  cheerful  obedience,  a  ready  acquiescence  in  all  that 
had  been  commanded,  in  order  that  their  service  might  cause 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  59 

the  Lord  to  be  sanctified,  and  his  glory  to  be  felt  by  all  the  peo- 
ple. Their  life  had  failed  to  effect  this;  they  transgressed,  they 
made  a  law  of  their  own,  they  offered  a  strange  fire ;  their  death 
was  therefore  required  to  effect  the  object  of  their  priesthood — 
and  they  died  before  the  Lord. 

Aaron  felt  the  force  of  the  prophet's  rebuke,  and  he  held  his 
peace  ;  he  looked  upon  the  corpses  of  his  sons,  and  he  felt  they 
had  sinned ;  he  uttered  no  cry  of  anguish,  he  expressed  no  re- 
pining after  God's  justice,  he  spoke  not  of -his  loss,  of  his  be- 
reavement ;  but  his  soul  rose  triumphant  in  its  confidence  in  the 
Lord,  and  he  held  his  peace,  he  remained  silent,  acknowledging 
that  it  is  better  for  him  to  be  bereft  of  his  children,  than  that 
the  equal  justice  of  his  Creator  should  be  impugned  ;  he  ac- 
knowledged, that  the  blow  which  had  been  struck  at  his  peace 
was  for  the  good  of  his  people,  who  also  had  a  right  and  por- 
tion in  their  ministers  who  had  been  selected  from  among  them. 
And  when  he  was  bidden  not  to  exhibit  outward  signs  of  mourn- 
ing, neither  he  nor  his  remaining  sons,  but  that  all  the  congre- 
gation might  mourn  for  the  loss  of  those  who  perished  for  their 
instruction  and  improvement :  he  again  submitted  to  the  man- 
date, not  forgetting  that  it  became  him  to  prove  to  the  people 
that  he  could  conform  to  the  behests  of  the  Lord,  although  his 
heart  was  torn  with  grief.  But  think  you  that  Aaron  did  not 
feel  keenly  his  bereavement  ?  believe  you  it  was  indifference  1 
want  of  refinement  ?  Then  read  the  sequel  of  the  chapter  from 
which  our  text  was  chosen ;  Moses  searched  for  the  sin-offer- 
ing, and  finding  it  burnt,  he  expressed  his  indignation  to  his 
brother's  sons  for  not  eating  the  sacrifice  as  ordained  ;  but 
hear  Aaron's  answer  :  "  Behold  this  day  have  they  offered  their 
sin  and  their  burnt-offering  before  the  Lord  ;  and  such  things 
have  befallen  me ;  and  if  I  had  eaten  the  sin-offering  to-day 
should  it  have  been  acceptable  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  ?"  This 
unpretending  reply  proves  more  strongly  than  any  pathetic  pic- 
ture could  have  done,  that,  though  the  anointed  priest  yielded 
obedience,  yet  the  father  felt  his  loss;  he  could  not  partake  of 
the  sacrifice,  his  soul  was  with  his  departed  sons,  and  rather 
than  desecrate  the  offering  of  his  Master  by  partaking  of  it 
without  a  proper  regard  to  its  sanctity  and  the  object  of  its 
institution,  he  preferred  having  it  burnt,  which  was  the  remedy 


(30  Tilt  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

if  aught  of  the  sacrifice  should  have  been  left  till  the  following 
morning.  Moses  acknowledged  the  force  of  Aaron's  reply  and 
he  felt  content ;  in  other  words,  the  holy  spirit  which  spoke 
through  the  prophet  assented  to  the  piety  of  the  father,  it  per- 
mitted him  to  feel,  whilst  it  demanded  resignation  and  an 
unrepining  submission  to  the  decree  of  the  dread  Judge  of  all. 

A  resignation  like  this  of  Aaron  is  one  of  the  highest  efforts 
which  man  can  make  in  the  service  of  his  Maker,  it  is  the  no- 
blest sacrifice  of  self  which  \ve  can  offer  up  on  the  altar  of 
heaven-born  religion.  It  is  when  we  are  afflicted,  when  the 
tide  of  our  prosperity  is  turned,  that  we  should  have  within  us 
that  exalted  confidence  in  the  Lord's  goodness,  which  should 
move  us  to  hold  our  peace,  ay,  whilst  the  eyes  are  suffused 
with  the  warm  gush  of  nature's  overflow,  the  scalding  tear, 
whilst  the  heart  heaves  with  convulsive  throes,  whilst  the  mouth 
fails  in  uttering  forth  the  cry  which  is  wrung  from  the  keen- 
ness of  the  wound  which  the  soul  inwardly  feels.  Yes,  it,  is 
then  that  religion  exhibits  her  empire,  when  she  binds  the 
stricken  more  closely  to  his  God,  unites  more  firmly  to  the  great 
Father  the  confiding  child.  But,  brethren  !  it  is  not  only  at  the 
moment  when  sorrow  has  invaded  your  dwelling,  that  you 
should  reach  forth  your  hand  to  snatch  the  balm  which  religion 
imparts  ;  you  are  not  to  wait  to  invigorate  yourselves  with  the 
dictates  of  our  holy  law  until  the  time  you  are  afflicted  ;  for 
this  would  be  merely  using  Heaven's  best  gift  as  a  species  of 
medicine  which  the  patient  is  willing  enough  to  take  only  whilst 
writhing  under  pain,  but  which  he  refuses  to  touch  when  health 
is  returning.  Besides  this,  it  is  very  questionable,  if  religion 
can  act  as  a  temporary  sedative,  any  more  than  the  remedies 
of  the  earthly  physician,  if  by  excesses  we  have  destroyed  our 
constitution,  or  counteract  the  effects  of  a  skilful  cure  by  im- 
prudence after  our  recovery. — Think  you  that  Aaron's  acquies- 
cence was  the  effect  of  the  admonition  of  Moses,  produced  only 
at  the  moment,  and  not  before  existing,  latent,  in  his  soul  ?  If 
you  think  so,  you  greatly  en',  for  Aaron  had  long  been 
schooled  in  the  ways  of  God,  he  had  felt  his  goodness,  had 
seen  his  mighty  power,  and  witnessed  his  justice.  He  had  con- 
fided long  since  in  the  Justice  with  which  the  world  is  governed, 
and  when  the  shaft  struck  him  too,  he  could  submit  patiently, 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  (j| 

meekly,  devoutly;  he  bowed  to  the  chastening  Hand,  he  adored, 
though  he  suffered.  Let  it  be  the  same  with  us  all.  No  one  lives 
who  can  save  his  soul  from  death.  The  dark  portal  at  the  entrance 
of  eternity  all  have  to  pass ;  the  grave  has  been  appointed  the 
common  receptacle  to  all  the  living  on  our  sphere;  the  silent 
earth,  or  the  stormy  deep,  or  the  scathing  fire,  or  the  fowls  of 
heaven  will  at  a  time  not  far  remote  receive  our  mortal  remains  ; 
all  the  elements  have  been  appointed  our  destroyers,  all  nature 
seems  leagued  against  our  remaining  long  on  earth.  What  right 
then  have  we  to  look  upon  ourselves  and  our  nearest  friends  as 
more  exempt  than  others  from  the  common  fate  of  humanity  ? 
where  is  the  warrant  which  assures  us  that  our  fortune,  our  hopes, 
our  joys,  are  to  stand  more  firmly  than  the  fortune,  the  hopes, 
the  joys  of  others  ?  Vain  delusion,  if  we  deceive  ourselves !  fatal 
error,  if  we  cleave  so  closely  to  earth  !  A  breath  of  wind  may 
overturn  our  fortune  ;  a  stroke  of  lightning  may  mar  our  fondest 
hopes  ;  an  unforeseen  accident  may  banish  our  joys ;  things  we 
fondly  cling  to  are  snatched  from  our  grasp  whilst  our  eyes 
are  gloating  on  them  ;  the  food  not  yet  devoured  is  perhaps  the 
destroyer  of  our  life  ;  the  hand  that  smooths  the  pillow  of  our 
couch  of  sickness  may  in  a  moment  be  palsied  by  death.  And 
shall  we  then  not  be  prepared  by  a  holy  life,  a  faithful  reliance 
upon  Providence,  for  the  coming  of  the  storm  which  must  ship- 
wreck our  hopes  1  are  we  to  go  on  from  day  to  day,  from 
hour  to  hour,  to  rivet  yet  faster  the  chains  which  bind  us  to  the 
mundane  globe,  and  loosen  the  bonds  that  unite  us  to  our  hea- 
venly Father  ?  Shall  wives,  shall  children,  shall  fathers  and 
mothers,  shall  brothers  and  sisters,  shall  friends  and  kindred, 
shall  wealth  and  renown,  shall  wisdom  and  honour  be  for  ever 
holding  our  spirit  in  thraldom,  and  keep  us  chained  to  the  cha- 
riot of  worldly  ambition,  forgetful  of  the  end  that  is  sure  im- 
pending? Ay,  could  we  ourselves  do  aught  to  secure  our 
possessions  from  loss,  and  our  friends  from  death,  then  indeed 
might  our  excessive  love  for  them  be  pardonable ;  but  since 
they  are  merely  lent  to  us  for  a  period,  to  be  taken  away  again 
whenever  the  Giver  finds  it  for  good  to  withdraw  them  :  how 
can  we  regard  them  as  absolutely  our  own,  and  their  with- 
drawal as  a  personal  injury  done  to  ourselves  I  Why  should 
we  not,  since  all  on  earth  is  fleeting,  transitory,  perishable,  de- 

VOL.  III. 6 


(}2  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

caying,  seek  to  accumulate  treasures  which  are  undying '(  why 
should  we  not  in  moments  of  prosperity  and  joy  endeavour  to 
calm  our  exultation,  and  to  look  towards  the  period  when  a 
change  will  come '?  why  not  fortify  ourselves,  whilst  we  are  at 
peace,  with  faith,  and  confidence,  and  reliance,  and  fortitude, 
and  learn  to  lean  for  support  upon  the  Rock  of  ages,  that  we 
may  be  able  to  stand  erect  when  at  length  the  storm  of  adver- 
sity assails  us  ? — And  yet  there  are  those  who  go  on  sinning, 
glorying  in  their  wickedness,  prosperous  in  their  misdeeds,  as 
though  for  them  there  is  no  evil ;  they  live,  forgetful  that  there 
is  an  accountability  for  them  for  all  the  wrong  they  have  done. 
But  the  wheel  of  mourning  that  rolls  round  in  the  world  at 
length  reaches  them  too ;  the  neglected  Sabbaths,  the  profaned 
holidays,  the  forsaken  covenant,  the  unprayed  orisons,  the  hope 
in  God  not  felt  by  them,  have  not  been  able  to  ward  oft*  the 
evil ;  it  has  come  and  lodged  in  their  house :  where  now  is 
their  security  1  where  now  is  their  hope  ?  where  now  is  their 
stay?  They  mourn  because  of  the  wound  which  death  has 
struck,  as  though  they  had  suffered  a  wrong  from  the  Creator ; 
they  complain  and  repine,  as  though  they  had  no  longer  any 
hope  or  joy  in  aught  that  is  theirs  ;  they  murmur,  as  though  it 
was  not  an  all-wise  Providence  that  has  thought  fit  lo  afflict 
them,  to  recall  as  it  were  their  thoughts  from  the  vanities  of  this 
life,  and  to  fix  them  the  more  firmly  on  yon  bright  future  in  the 
realms  of  bliss,  which  is  to  be  gained  only  through  obedience 
and  a  filial  reliance  upon  the  promises  of  benignant  religion. 
Yet  if  they  would  but  consider  that  their  former  striving  had 
been  after  vanities ;  their  former  security  but  a  flattering  self- 
delusion  ;  their  want  of  faith  a  rebellion  against  God,  the  neglect 
of  the  Sabbath  and  the  other  precepts  an  actual  treason  against 
the  great  King  :  how  readily  would  they  acquiesce  in  the  jus- 
tice of  the  decree  that  has  been  meted  out  to  them ;  and  if  the}' 
could  not  like  Aaron  hold  their  peace  out  of  full  confidence  in 
the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  if  their  sinful  life  permitted  them  not 
to  see  mercy  in  the  storm  as  well  as  in  the  sunshine :  they 
would  at  least  be  willing  to  submit  to  their  punishment  with 
meekness  becoming  unto  repentant  sinners,  and  learn  hence- 
forward to  seek  mercy  and  forgiveness  from  the  Fountain  of 
mercy. 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  53 

For  we  may  maintain  as  a  well  established  principle  that 
every  visitation  is  intended  for  our  improvement;  nothing  is  for- 
tuitous or  the  effect  of  chance,  all,  all  is  the  effect  of  design,  the 
working  of  Providence :  not  an  insect  perishes  in  the  flame  of  a 
lamp  around  which  it  has  been  buzzing, — not  a  bird  is  snared 
by  the  fowler, — not  a  plant  springs  from  the  ground, — not  a 
blossom  perishes,  unless  it  be  by  the  decree  of  the  Omnipotent 
who  is  good  alike  to  all ;  the  apparent  evil,  death  itself,  is  but  a 
stepping  stone  to  happiness,  and  the  road  to  felicity  leads  through 
trials  and  tribulation.  Is  it  then  right  to  regard  lightly  the  chas- 
tisement we  may  encounter  ?  or  perhaps  are  they  to  harden  yet 
more  our  hearts  that  we  may  still  more  obstinately  reject  the 
counsels  of  wisdom  which  the  Bible  so  bountifully  offers  to  our 
acceptance?  Should  any  one  say  in  the  indifference  of  his  cal- 
lous heart,  in  the  scornfulness  of  his  unbelief:  "  My  son  died 
in  the  course  of  nature,  he  was  cut  off  in  his  bloom,  as  other 
children  die;"  or  again:  "I  have  not  deserved  such  punishment; 
Providence  deals  unjustly  and  cruelly  with  me  ?"  To  the  one 
we  would  reply,  that  although  death  is  in  the  course  of  nature, 
still  every  time  it  occurs  it  is  in  consequence  of  a  special  edict 
from  the  Guardian  and  Ruler  of  the  world ;  and  that  so  far  from 
the  bereavement  being  merely  accidental,  it  could  not  have  been 
otherwise  than  designedly  sent  as  a  warning  to  arouse  the  atten- 
tion ;  for  there  is  no  chance ;  we  cannot  suppose  that  such  un- 
certainty could  at  all  enter  into  the  system  of  nature  as  designed 
by  an  all-wise  Architect.  To  the  second  we  would  say :  No 
man  is  punished  without  a  just  cause,  and  granting  that  you  are 
not  conscious  of  wrong,  still  rest  assured  that  you  have  been 
weighed  and  found  wanting,  and  that  you  have  committed  sins 
in  the  very  acts  which  your  interests,  inclinations  or  passions 
have  taught  you  to  regard  as  innocent.  Thus  if  you  profane 
habitually  the  Sabbath,  if  you  refuse  to  enter  your  children  in 
the  Lord's  covenant,  if  you  obstinately  persist  in  not  teaching 
them  the  words  of  the  law,  if  in  short  you  are  regardless  of  the 
Mosaic  code — transgressing  the  precepts — and  are  an  indolent 
follower  of  forbidden  pleasures — are  you  not  a  sinner  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord,  altho'  in  your  own  estimation  you  are  innocent  and 
pure  ? 

If  therefore,  any  evil  befall  us,  we  should  at  once  set  about  in- 


C4  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

vestigating  our  conduct,  and  reform  the  sinfulness  of  our  ways; 
perhaps  the  Lord  may  see  our  altered  course,  and  remove  from 
us  farther  his  anger.  And,  are  not  the  punishments  the  tem- 
pests which  purity  the  moral  life,  just  as  the  winds  and  light- 
nings those  which  clear  the  physical  atmosphere  ?  Do  we  blame 
the  Almighty  for  causing  the  wind  to  blow  which  lashes  into 
foam  the  before  placid  ocean  ?  Do  we  arraign  the  justice  of 
Providence  for  the  vivid  lightning  which  plays  around  our  dwel- 
ling and  terrifies  our  appalled  vision  ?  Does  not  every  one  re- 
cognize them  as  harbingers  of  good,  as  the  agents  sent  to  refresh 
the  earth,  to  restore  vegetation,  to  destroy  noxious  vapours  which 
else  might  settle  down  upon  the  surface  of  our  globe,  and  cor- 
rupt the  air,  the  water,  and  the  soil  whence  we  derive  our  sus- 
tenance 1  But  precisely  similar  are  the  visitations  which  ever 
and  anon  come  over  us ;  the  placidity  of  our  uniform  current 
may  be  lashed  into  billows,  but  the  Lord  is  in  the  storm ;  He 
calls  our  attention  to  the  noxious,  to  the  putrefied  state  of  our 
conduct,  He  bids  us  to  remove  the  evil  which  we  discover,  in 
order  that  when  the  storm  has  spent  its  rage  we  may  stand  be- 
fore Him  renovated  in  the  strength  of  life  and  live  unto  eternity. 
Let  the  lightning  rend  our  peace,  let  its  desolation  be  visible  in 
our  dwelling,  let  us  be  shaken  by  the  roll  of  the  thunder:  be  as- 
sured God  is  in  the  fire,  it  is  His  voice  we  hear.  He  calls  us 
to  Him,  He  rouses  us  from  our  slumber,  He  appeals  to  our  better 
feeling,  He  wills  we  should  awaken  from  the  torpor  of  deadly 
sin,  and  live  in  His  presence,  scathed — yet  purified,  smitten — 
yet  cleansed,  wounded — yet  healed  again.  If  thus  we  look  upon 
sufferings,  who  can  say  that  they  are  not  fit  instruments  for  a 
beneficial  Providence's  purposes  to  instruct  and  improve  man- 
kind ?  Prosperity  but  blunts  the  feelings ;  constant  success  but 
binds  man  closer  to  life ;  uninterrupted  well-being  but  induces 
him  to  toil  more  energetically  to  gain  a  larger  share  of  the 
world's  goods;  and  very  often  it  is  affliction  only  which  teaches 
him  better  things.  Happy  indeed  would  it  be,  if  the  empire  of 
religion  were  so  far  extended,  that  in  the  hours  of  joy  man 
would  take  it  to  heart  to  become  a  truer  servant  of  the  Most 
High ;  that  when  success  augments  his  stores  he  would  conse- 
crate his  life  to  God,  and  repose  on  the  days  when  labour  is  for- 
bidden ;  to  walk  humbly  amidst  the  shouts  of  admiration ;  to 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  65 

ieel  himself  mortal  even  in  the  very  hour  of  conquest  and  tri- 
umph. But,  alas  !  many  then  have  an  ear  only  for  flattery  ;  a  heart 
only  for  pride;  a  leisure  only  for  enjoyment;  a  mind  only  for 
worldly  things ;  no  time  for  religion,  no  mind  for  prayer,  no  hour 
for  worship,  no  day  for  rest.  All,  all  is  one  whirl  of  excitement, 
one  rush  after  gain  and  renown;  religion  lies  neglected,  God  is 
forgotten.  It  is  therefore  that  admonitions  come  opportunely  to 
the  aid  of  our  better  nature,  to  move  us  to  cast  off  the  fatal 
moral  indolence,  to  induce  us  to  review  our  way,  and  to  apply 
the  remedy  where  we  discover  defects.  For  it  is  at  the  time 
when  our  pride  has  been  rebuked  by  adversity,  when  our  medi- 
cal skill  has  shown  itself  incompetent  to  save  the  life  of  a  beloved 
offspring,  when  the  accumulated  wealth  of  ages  has  been  unable 
to  purchase  one  hour  of  a  life  of  sufferings,  when  man  utterly 
feels  his  helplessness  without  Divine  assistance,  when  we  feel 
disgusted  at  worldly  greatness,  and  worldly  wealth,  and  worldly 
wisdom  which  failed  to  afford  us  relief:  that  we  are  drawn 
towards  the  Creator  and  his  mercy,  to  the  God  who  can  give 
life  and  health,  and  whose  are  the  wisdom  and  understanding. 
If  we  now  profit  by  this  devotional  feeling  called  up  at  the  mo- 
ment of  sorrow,  if  we  let  our  afflictions  make  a  lasting  impres- 
sion on  our  future  life  and  conduct :  then  may  it  be  truly  said, 
that  God  has  been  sanctified  by  our  bereavement,  and  been  glo- 
rified by  our  humiliation,  and  the  death  of  a  friend  by  which  he 
was  released  from  bodily  ailment  may  have  opened  to  us  the 
gates  of  heaven.  It  is  not  only  by  the  death  of  the  sons  of 
Aaron  by  whom  the  glory  of  the  Lord  was  to  be  extended,  but 
likewise  by  the  departure  hence  of  every  son  of  Adam  to  the 
latest  generation.  There  is  a  lesson  to  be  drawn  from  every 
death-bed  scene,  from  the  sinner's  as  well  as  of  the  righteous ; 
and  the  one  dying  in  his  impenitence  teaches  with  no  less  force 
than  the  calm  resignation  of  the  other.  Every  thing,  in  short, 
that  occurs  to  us  is  full  of  import,  and  will  guide  us  on  to  a 
happier  lot,  if  we  will  but  heed  the  instruction  hourly  afforded 
unto  us. 

Do  we  now  take  the  Divine  dispensations  to  heart  as  faithful 
servants,  do  we  thank  our  Creator  amidst  our  afflictions  as  well 
as  our  joys:  how  sweet  will  the  incense  be  we  then  offer  to 
Him;  our  subdued  pride,  our  renewed  hope,  our  regenerated 


(JO  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

life,  our  love  of  the  law  rekindled  to  burn  unto  our  dying  day 
\vill  appeal  for  us  to  our  everlasting  Father,  and  He  will  send 
his  grace  unto  our  afflicted  soul  and  refreshen  it  with  his  com- 
forting spirit.  Sorrow  will  be  changed  into  joy,  anguish  into 
exultation  ;  and  instead  of  repining  and  complaint,  there  will  be 
resignation  and  submission.  J\o  rebellious  feeling  will  be  called 
up,  no  murmur  because  of  the  dispensation  will  be  heard;  but  in 
entire  faith,  in  the  full  hope  of  a  better  hereafter  we  will  ex- 
claim :  "  He  is  the  Lord,  let  Him  do  what  seemcth  Him  good !" 
When  one  endowed  with  such  holy  resignation  should  stand 
weeping  over  the  grave  of  his  beloved  wife,  or  his  only  offspring 
cut  off  in  the  early  vigour  of  manhood  and  renown,  it  needs  but 
to  remind  him  that  it  is  God  who  has  afflicted  him ;  it  were  vain 
to  offer  any  other  consolation,  he  will  at  once  recognize  the 
force  of  the  appeal,  he  will  recall  his  wavering  confidence  and 
rest  of  the  soul,  and  bear  with  meekness  the  loss  he  has  sus- 
tained, and  endeavour  in  renewed  activity,  in  benevolence  and 
devotion  to  regain  his  lost  composure. 

Religion  bids  us  not,  not  to  mourn ;  it  tells  us  not,  that  we 
should  not  regret  the  death  of  our  friends ;  on  the  contrary,  it 
prescribes  observances  which  are  eminently  calculated  to  arouse 
the  feelings.  We  rend  the  garment,  we  eat  the  bread  of  mourn- 
ing, we  sit  on  the  ground,  we  adorn  not  the  person,  we  are  to 
abstain  from  pleasure,  we  are  not  to  mix  in  general  society;  and 
all  this  has  been  ordained  that  we  might  dwell  with  serious  re- 
flection upon  the  evil  that  has  come  upon  us.  But  when  the 
thirty  days  for  all  but  our  father  and  mother,  for  whom  we  are 
to  seclude  ourselves  for  the  space  of  an  entire  year,  have  elapsed, 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  mourner  to  resume  his  walk  amidst  his  fel- 
low-men; his  regret  need  not  to  cease  with  this  period,  but  the 
outward  exhibition  of  grief  surely  should;  and  I  know  not. 
whether  the  custom  of  wearing  particular  garments  by  those 
who  have  lost  friends  beyond  the  prescribed  time  may  not  be 
safely  regarded  as  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  religion.  There  is 
no  question  however  that  it  is  sinful  to  carry  regret  to  too  great 
an  extent,  to  let  months  elapse  before  composure  is  restored,  to 
have  the  house  darkened,  or  to  wear  sombre-coloured  garments, 
or  to  refuse  mingling  again  in  society,  for  too  long  a  period ;  for 
such  behaviour  tells  but  too  plainly,  that  the  sufferer  refuses  to 


THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON.  QJ 

yield  himself  to  the  decrees  of  Heaven,  that  he  perhaps  thinks 
that  he  has  suffered  an  unmerited  injury  from  his  Lord.  A  fault 
like  this  is  but  too  apt  to  be  committed  by  the  more  wealthy  and 
respectable  portions  of  the  community ;  they  are  not  actively 
enough  employed  and  have  too  much  leisure  for  profitless  reflec- 
tion, especially  if  their  faith  and  religious  conviction  should  not 
be  sufficiently  firm  and  confiding.  It  is  well  however  to  remind 
them  that  with  the  past  sorrows  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  not 
straightened,  and  that  His  arm  is  yet  outstretched  to  smite  them 
with  renewed  plagues.  And  who  knows  but  that  their  stubborn- 
ness may  merit  a  new  punishment,  and  that  in  addition  to  the 
one  already  taken  another  may  also  be  soon  required,  or  that 
some  other  calamity  may  be  sent,  a  calamity  which  they  now 
but  little  dream  of?  For  what  sin  can  be  greater  than  a  rebel- 
lious heart?  what  conduct  more  deserving  of  visitation  than 
murmuring  against  the  dispensation  of  Providence?  And  yet  we 
constantly  see  such  unbecoming  grief  exhibited,  and  men  will 
brave  the  vengeance  of  Heaven  by  their  unyielding  disconsolate 
behaviour.  Why  should  we  be  disconsolate?  say  you  because 
one  dear  to  us  has  fallen  ?  Truly  a  friend  has  fallen,  but  he  fell 
as  all  must  fall  when  their  appointed  hour  has  come,  he  was 
summoned  hence  by  the  will  of  his  Maker,  the  Lord  of  his  body 
and  his  soul,  who  deemed  it  best  now  to  close  the  earthly  career 
of  him  we  deplore,  because  his  task  was  ended,  or  because  his 
death  was  necessary  for  the  edification  of  the  world  or  ourselves, 
and  for  the  glory  of  his  God. 

We  will  now  define  resignation,  as  a  close  to  the  subject 
which  we  have  been  considering  to-day.  Resignation  con- 
sists not  in  indifference,  in  a  brutal  disregard  of  life,  but  in  the 
filial  deference  to  the  will  of  God,  because  it  was  his  plea- 
sure to  afflict  us.  It  proceeds  from  a  well-grounded  belief  in 
the  constant  supervision  of  Providence  and  in  his  overruling 
goodness,  in  the  unwavering  faith  that  every  thing  which  is 
sent  by  Him  is  for  the  ultimate  happiness  of  mankind.  It  far- 
ther teaches  us  that  all  sublunary  things,  wealth,  wisdom,  power, 
renown,  nay  even  life  itself  are  fleeting,  and  of  uncertain  dura- 
tion, liable  to  be  resumed  at  any  moment  by  Him  who  gave 
them.  Therefore  it  impresses  upon  the  pious  man  the  neces- 
sity of  a  cheerful  submission  whenever  the  evil  reaches  him  in 


($$  THE  RESIGNATION  OF  AARON. 

his  turn,  and  admonishes  him  to  look  for  support  from  the 
Author  of  his  being  to  sustain  him  amidst  his  affliction.  It  will 
light  up  joy  within  him  amidst  the  gloom  of  despair,  and  instruct 
him  how  to  extract  the  grace  of  life  from  the  poison  of  distress 
and  sorrow.  Yes,  it  will  incite  him  to  robe  himself  with  piety 
and  meekness,  to  stretch  forth  his  hand  to  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
of  life,  to  the  words  of  the  law,  to  the  precepts  of  the  everlast- 
ing King,  in  whose  presence  there  is  the  fulness  of  joy,  and  in 
whose  temple  all  speaks  glory. 

You,  therefore,  beloved  brethren  !  who  have  entrusted  to  the 
cold  earth  the  bodies  of  your  beloved  ones,  rejoice  in  the  Lord ! 
glorify  His  name,  despite  of  your  affliction  !  bow  your  heads 
to  the  rod  that  chasteneth  you  !  and  learn  to  enter  life  everlast- 
ing through  the  gate  of  tribulation.  In  the  heavenly  Gilead 
there  is  a  balm,  a  Physician  too  is  there ;  and  if  you  say  in  the 
sincerity  of  your  heart :  "  Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord !  our  God, 
King  of  the  universe,  who  art  a  righteous  Judge;"  if  you  thank 
Him  in  the  hour  of  anguish  as  well  as  in  the  moments  of  joy  ;  be 
assured  that  the  balm  will  be  poured  into  your  wounds,  and  that 
the  great  Physician  will  heal  your  bruises  by  his  everlasting 
grace  ;  and  you  will  be  like  Aaron  of  old  endowed  with  strength 
to  submit  with  resignation  and  calm  fortitude  to  the  decree 
which  has  sealed  the  portion  of  your  beloved  ones  unto  unend- 
ing life ! 

Lord  above  !  bless  thy  people  ;  bless  them  in  their  going  out, 
bless  them  in  their  coming  in  ;  guard  them  whilst  sojourning 
on  earth,  and  guide  them  to  thy  holy  sanctuary ;  purify  their 
hearts  in  order  that  they  may  serve  Thee  unto  evermore,  and 
comfort  them  in  their  affliction  even  as  the  mother  comforteth 
her  son. '  May  this  be  thy  will !  Amen. 

Veadar  20th 
March  25th 


69 
DISCOURSE  VII. 

THE    UNCERTAINTY    OF    LIFE. 

To  Him  who  sitteth  enthroned  in  the  assembly  of  his  holy 
servants,  in  whose  presence  all  speaks  of  his  glory,  who  is  al- 
mighty to  save,  who  is  faithful  to  his  covenant,  and  to  whose 
ilays  there  is  no  end,  be  glory  and  praise  unto  everlasting,  and 
may  his  name  be  blessed  for  evermore  in  the  assemblies  of  his 
people  Israel,  and  of  all  sons  of  flesh  his  creatures.  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

Moses,  the  man  of  God,  was  one  of  those  favoured  mortals 
who  have  at  times  been  permitted  to  arrive  at  a  nearer  approach 
to  the  Deity  than  falls  to  the  share  of  other  men.  In  other 
words,  he  was  a  prophet,  a  messenger  deputed  to  work  out  by 
extraordinary  displays  of  power  the  mission  of  his  Sender.  He 
came  back  into  Egypt  to  a  people  debased  by  slavery  and  a 
broken  spirit,  subdued  by  fear  of  their  powerful  task-masters, 
and  corrupted  by  the  evil  examples,  the  idolatry,  and  the  moral 
depravity  of  their  highly-refined  tyrants,  as  a  messenger  merely 
of  good  tidings,  not  armed  with  worldly  greatness,  not  followed 
by  a  numerous  retinue  to  enforce  his  demands,  but  as  an  indi- 
vidual full  of  a  high  resolve,  laden  with  a  potent  spell,  to  essay 
the  fulfilment  of  his  message  without  a  resort  to  human  co-ope- 
ration, without  the  employment  of  earthly  means.  He  became 
the  chosen  instrument  of  Israel's  redemption  ;  and  the  Passover 
which  we  now  celebrate  was  instituted  to  keep  the  memory  of 
this  event  ever  alive  and  unforgotten  among  our  latest  descen- 
dants. He,  the  outcast,  the  shepherd  of  his  kinsman's  flocks  in 
the  desert  of  Horeb,  the  man  diffident  of  his  own  powers,  un- 
able to  articulate  correctly,  because  he  was  heavy  of  speech, 
he  who  had  sought  refuge  among  roving  herds  of  an  inhospita- 
ble land,  became  enabled  to  humble  unto  submission  the  proudest 
and  most  magnificent  monarch  of  that  age,  and  by  divine  as- 
sistance was  permitted  to  raise  those,  who  like  him  were  de- 
scended from  the  noble  stock  of  Abraham,  to  the  enviable 


70  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFK. 

distinction  of  being  made  the  depositary  of  God's  covenant.  In 
this  manner  the  oppressors  and  the  oppressed  changed  positions  ; 
thev  who  had  formerly  wisdom  to  bestow  could  now  well  be- 

«/  * 

come  learners  from  those  they  formerly  ruled  over  ;  and  thus 
were  shown,  to  the  conviction  of  every  one  who  thinks,  the 
nothingness  of  human  power  when  contending  against  the  will 
of  the  Supreme,  and  the  emptiness  of  a  mortal's  knowledge 
•when  compared  with  wisdom  flowing  directly  from  the  Source 
of  truth  and  light. 

It  must  have  been  under  the  influence  of  feelings  of  this  kind 
that  Moses  composed  the  beautiful  prayer  which  is  the  nine- 
tieth in  our  collection  of  Psalms.  He  opens  with  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  divine  protection  which  had  ever  been  extended 
to  Israel  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  He  then  alludes  to 
the  eternity  of  God,  and  his  goodness  in  snatching  man  from 
the  ways  of  sin  by  timely  admonition  and  the  acceptance  of 
repentance.  He  next  compares  the  infinity  of  the  Creator  with 
the  perishableness  of  the  creature,  which  nevertheless  dares  to 
provoke  the  wrath  of  the  Omnipotent  by  its  reckless  disregard 
of  his  precepts.  He  expatiates  on  the  brief  space  allotted  to 
man  during  his  sojourn  on  earth,  and  the  sorrows  to  which  his 
sinful  nature  exposes  him.  Again  he  pictures  the  effects  of 
God's  indignation  towards  the  wayward  child,  and  the  terrible 
power  which  the  All-wise  has  over  all  nature.  He  endeavours 
to  contrast  the  Lord's  greatness  with  man's  insignificance,  not 
by  entering  into  details,  but  by  exhibiting  so  to  say  the  brief 
outline  which  his  devotional  feelings  have  called  up  in  his  mind  ; 
he  is  lost  in  the  immensity  of  the  Creator's  goodness  and  might, 
and  only  sees  refuge  for  mortal  man  in  a  devout  fear  of  the 
Creator,  and  in  a  reverential  obedience  to  his  precepts.  He 
feels  that  there  is  safety  in  virtue  alone,  and  then  continues  : 


:  a"'  '*  o'Snn  :  noDn  y)  N33i  ynn  p  wo* 

"  Teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  unto  wis- 
dom." Ps.  xc.  12. 

Man  in  the  vanity  of  his  heart  considers  himself  of  immense 
importance  in  the  scale  of  society,  he  fancies  himself  the  ob- 
served of  all  observers,  as  one  whose  fortunes  stand  firm,  and 
whose  days  are  of  enduring  length.  What  are  to  him  the  hum- 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIKE.  ~j 

ble  in  wealth,  the  meek  in  spirit,  the  old  in  years,  the  decrepid 
by  disease  ?  He  is  their  superior  ;  he  is  of  lofty  station,  of  great 
wealth,  high  in  mind,  and  confident  in  his  power;  he  is  in  the 
spring-time  of  life,  and  disease  and  its  corroding  pangs  are  to 
him  unknown.  He  therefore  steps  abroad  lightly  and  full  of 
confidence,  he  is  assured  that  evil  will  not  reach  him,  and  that 
he  is  born  to  command,  or  may  be  that  death  will  not  have 
dominion  over  his  body.  To  one  so  completely  enamoured  of 
self,  (and  there  are  many  such,)  life  appears  but  made  for  the 
individual  alone,  all  must  yield  submissively  to  him,  and  he 
can  learn  but  little  from  others ;  for  in  wisdom  and  in  learning 
he  fancies  himself  superior  to  almost  all  who  are  his  compan- 
ions, and  he  therefore  spurns  advice  and  instruction  as  dero- 
gatory to  his  assumed  dignity.  It  need  not  be  that  this  fancied 
great  being  should  be  actually  of  high  importance ;  for  alas ! 
the  number  of  those  is  great  who  claim  a  rank  which  neither 
talent  nor  station  does  confer  on  them,  and  equally  with  the 
actually  wise  and  elevated  in  society  they  rely  on  their  own 
wisdom  and  their  own  strength  of  arm.  But  be  the  presump- 
tion of  mortals  based  upon  worldly  greatness  or  not,  it  is 
equally  destructive  to  the  peace  of  its  victim,  equally  injurious 
to  the  happiness  of  the  hapless  one  who  surrenders  his  mind 
captive  to  its  fascination.  It  warps  the  understanding,  it  closes 
the  heart,  and  lies  with  a  deadening  weight  upon  the  spirit  in 
its  reach  after  immortal  glory.  For  no  sooner  does  man  en- 
deavour to  conquer  his  self-love  with  a  view  of  acquiring  know- 
ledge than  this  incubus  drowns  the  resolution  scarcely  formed, 
it  presents  to  the  mind  the  humiliating  posture  of  confessing 
one's  ignorance,  it  evokes  pride  from  a  thousand  sources  of 
mortification  ;  and  knowledge  is  not  asked,  improvement  is  not 
attained. — Objects  of  pity  present  themselves,  penury  holds  up 
her  shrivelled  hand,  her  ghastly  face ;  the  presumptuous  turns 
away  in  disgust,  for  he  cannot  have  his  equanimity  disturbed 
by  unpleasant  scenes. — Religion  claims  his  attention,  every 
fleeting  hour  admonishes  him  that  life's  sands  are  ebbing  unto 
eternity  ;  but  he  heeds  not,  he  is  occupied  with  thoughts  of  self, 
with  pursuits  of  gain,  with  indulgence  of  pleasure,  with  schemes 
of  aggrandizement.  Should  he  listen  to  the  disquieting  A7oice 
of  adm'onition  which  the  Holy  One  has  planted  in  him  ?  can 


70  Tilt:  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

he  be  diverted  from  his  high  aim  of  worldly  ambition  and  carnal 
enjoyment  by  the  dread  of  an  end  that  to  him  perchance  may 
never  come  ?  Assuredly  not ;  he  continues  the  slave  of  pre- 
sumption, the  willing  captive  of  an  unholy  desire  for  ease  and 
renown,  and  he  remains  a  stranger  in  the  house  of  God,  an 
alien  to  the  grace  of  his  Maker. 

But  wo  !  wo  !  man's  fortune  is  not  enduring ;  a  mortal's 
foresight  cannot  save  from  destruction ;  human  wisdom  is  con- 
stantly turned  to  nought ;  and  though  we  do  bloom  like  the 
opening  flower  in  the  morning,  before  the  sun  goes  down  we 
may  be  cut  off  and  left  to  wither. — Often  has  this  melancholy 
fact  been  presented  to  our  consideration,  daily  is  our  attention 
arrested ;  but  we  hide  our  face  from  the  unwelcome  sight,  we 
wish  not  to  be  disturbed  by  that  harrowing  intruder,  painful 
reflections  upon  the  ills  which  befall  others,  we  banish  such 
thoughts  from  our  minds,  simply  because  they  teach  us  our 
own  insignificance,  and  point  out  but  too  surely  what  our  end 
will  be.  Were  it  that  banishing  thought  could  turn  aside  the 
evil ;  could  want  of  reflection  render  our  body  immortal  and 
of  ever-returning  youthfulness :  then  indeed  might  we  be  justi- 
fied in  living  forgetful  of  our  end.  But  not  thinking,  not  caring, 
not  heeding,  render  us  not  exempt  from  change  and  grief,  and 
the  evil  not  apprehended  will  nevertheless  come  and  fulfil  its 
errand.  There  is  no  stability  in  life,  no  certainty  in  worldly 
possessions ;  whilst  we  rejoice  we  are  hastening  unto  death, 
and  the  delights  we  fondly  crave  pass  away  like  the  vision  of 
the  night.  A  thousand  instances  crowd  on  the  mind  as  exam- 
ples which  could  verify  these  remarks,  and  a  man  must  have 
lived  without  any  reflection  and  to  but  little  purpose  whose 
recollection  is  not  stored  with  several  instances  of  this  nature  ; 
but  one  pre-eminently  awful  as  a  warning  occurred  not  many 
years  since,  and  it  may  perhaps  be  well  to  call  it  up  from  the 
mass  of  human  sufferings  which  history  has  treasured  up  as 
lessons  and  guides  to  our  better  nature. 

In  a  port  renowned  for  its  extensive  commerce  and  wealth 
lay  moored  a  bark  of  beautiful  exterior  and  extensive  dimen- 
sions. Her  leviathan-like  length,  her  well-appointed  machinery, 
her  endearing  name,  a  name  which  the  exile  loves  to  dwell  on, 
which  reminds  the  absent  son  of  the  roof  of  his  father,  all 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  73 

pointed  her  out  as  a  desirable  means  to  enable  the  returning 
wanderer  to  reach  his  "  home"  speedily  and  safely.  It  was  in 
the  beginning  of  autumn,  the  time  appointed  for  our  atonement, 
the  Sabbath  preceding  the  great  day  of  the  forgiveness  of  sin ; 
and  sea,  and  earth,  and  sky  alike  appeared  rejoicing  in  the  bril- 
liant light  which  a  glorious  sun  was  shedding  on  all  around. 
Multitudes  assembled  upon  the  deck  of  the  vessel  that  was  so 
soon  to  be  their  only  protection,  under  God,  between  life  and 
death,  and  gay  faces  and  happy  hearts  looked  forward  to  bo 
ere  long  reunited  in  restored  health  to  friends  they  had  months 
before  left  behind.  Who  thought  of  impending  destruction  ?  of 
a  speedy  death  ?  their  path  seemed  even  before  them,  and  the 
mother  spoke  cheerfully  to  the  daughter,  the  brother  looked 
with  confident  anticipation  on  the  brother,  and  the  faithful  wife 
reminded  gaily  the  husband  that  soon  would  they  again  behold 
their  happy  dwelling  and  their  beloved  children. — The  bark 
bears  her  power  within  herself,  she  needs  not  to  wait  for  the 
fickle  wind  or  the  changeful  tide ;  her  powerful  oars  lash  the 
water  as  though  eager  for  the  start,  like  the  neighing  steed 
paws  the  ground  when  the  martial  trumpet  calls  him  to  the 
fight,  or  the  tap  of  the  drum  summons  him  to  the  race ;  the 
hissing  steam  escapes  from  the  opened  valve,  and  the  whole 
fabric  trembles  at  every  joint  as  if  impatient  for  the  word  of 
command  which  is  to  release  it  from  its  tie  to  the  earth.  The 
word  at  length  is  given,  and  away  flies  the  bark  with  almost 
unapproachable  speed ;  and  from  the  shore  saluting  friends  greet 
the  travellers  with  a  final  "  God  be  with  you,"  and  when  the 
increasing  distance  quickly  conceals  them  entirely  from  their 
aching  view,  some  commend  their  beloved  ones  to  the  keeping 
of  their  Father  in  heaven,  whilst  others  have  full  reliance  upon 
the  skill  of  the  builder  and  the  excellence  of  the  ship's  crew, 
and  in  their_ vanity  and  confidence  of  human  means  they  resort 
not  to  prayer. 

Soon  the  ocean  is  reached ;  and  its  surface  is  smooth  like  a 
polished  mirror,  and  the  wide-spread  waters  are  smiling  all 
around,  and  almost  invite  the  traveller  to  venture  abroad  on 
their  level  plain.  Barely  a  ripple  ruffles  the  sea,  as  it  spangles 
and  glitters  against  the  reflected  light  of  day's  bright  luminary, 
and  onward  hies  the  bark  toward  her  destined  haven  with 


VOL.  III.- 


74  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

almost  unobstructed  velocity.  But  lo!  the  treacherous  element 
assumes  a  different  aspect ;  the  winds  are  loosened  from  their 
treasures ;  and  the  curling  waves  soon  proclaim  that  the  de- 
ceitful calm  is  broken.  Now  the  mariner  exerts  his  skill,  he 
fears  a  rocky  shore,  he  looks  with  dread  alarm  to  the  gloom 
which  marks  but  too  plainly  where  destruction  would  await 
him.  Onward  yet  staggers  the  doomed  craft,  as  if  conscious 
that  upon  her  depend  the  lives  and  fortunes  of  many  a  throb- 
bing heart ;  she  ploughs  gallantly  through  the  angry  billows ;  the 
sinking  hopes  of  the  crew  are  almost  re-animated  in  the  fond 
expectation  that  the  fury  of  the  storm  will  soon  abate;  but, 
hark  !  the  crash  of  timbers  tells  that  the  fabrick  which  human 
hands  have  so  skilfully  joined  is  yielding  itself  to  the  blast,  to 
the  strength  of  God's  serial  messenger.  Still  the  progress  is 
onward,  the  element  of  fire  with  which  the  bark  is  armed  yet 
battles  with  the  floods  without,  and  though  crippled  she  never- 
theless keeps  on  her  way ;  but  this  last  refuge  also  ,is  soon  taken, 
and  the  living  fire  is  quenched  by  the  rising  waters  wrhich  steal 
into  the  wreck ;  and  the  last  hopes  of  its  precious  freight  are 
extinguished  too.  It  is  night ; — the  day  is  the  third  from  their 
departure ;  the  hour  the  close  of  the  Day  of  Atonement ;  and 
many  who  belong  not  to  the  seed  of  Abraham  have  unwillingly 
spent  a  day  of  fasting  and  humiliation  in  anxious  dread  because 
of  their  peril.  And  some  children  from  the  house  of  Israel 
are  also  there,  and  see  the  working  of  their  God  in  the  storm 
and  the  billows,  their  hearts  subdued  because  of  his  might. 

The  vessel  now  drifts  shoreward,  bereft  of  control  over  her 
motion,  at  the  mercy  of  the  storm  and  waves.  The  timid 
maiden  claims  the  prelection  of  the  manly  youth  who  stands 
mute  beside  her ;  the  wife  clings  in  despair  to  her  husband,  as 
though  he  could  save  her ;  the  daughter  appeals  to  the  helpless 
mother,  and  man  asks  vainly  the  aid  of  a  fellow-mortal.  But 
hark  again  !  what  betokens  this  crash?  The  vessel  has  struck, 
she  remains  immovable,  her  onward  course  is  checked  by  the 
reef  on  which  she  lies.  Billow  after  billow  strikes  the  wreck, 
piece  by  piece  is  every  joint  dissevered,  and  one  long  shout  of 
wailing  tells  that  the  work  of  death  is  done.  A  hundred  human 
beings  are  engulfed  in  one  instant  of  time;  and  by  the  friend 
the  maiden  sinks;  wife  and  husband  linked  together  go  down 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  75 

• 

into  the  deep,  and  mother  and  daughter,  who  were  loving  in 
life  are  not  separated  in  death.  Few  only  are  left  to  battle 
with  the  sea  upon  detached  planks  and  broken  timbers,  fewer 
yet  reach  the  shore  in  the  gloom  of  the  night  exhausted  and 
benumbed,  and  are  left  living  witnesses  of  the  goodness  of  that 
Providence  which  rescued  them  from  impending  danger,  which 
spared  their  lives  when  so  many  others  were  taken. — Many 
families  look  anxiously  forward  for  the  return  of  a  father,  a 
husband,  a  mother,  a  son,  a  daughter,  a  sister  and  a  brother ; 
but  these  come  not,  and  no  more  in  this  world  will  they  meet 
the  beloved,  not  even  will  their  eyes  be  permitted  to  look  upon 
the  face  of  the  dead  which  the  ocean  will  not  give  up  till  the 
graves  are  opened  unto  everlasting  resurrection ;  and  long  will 
many  a  bereaved  household  dwell  with  grief  upon  the  recollec- 
tion of  the  wreck  of  the  HOME. 

It  was  not,  brethren,  for  the  purpose  of  telling  you  a  tale  of 
wo,  that  I  have  called  your  attention  to  this  sorrowful  recital ; 
but  only  to  ask  you  to  let  it  awaken  in  you  reflections  upon  the 
uncertainty  of  your  earthly  existence.  Would  the  many  that 
perished  on  that  melancholy  occasion  have  ventured  upon  the 
deck  of  the  frail  vessel  which  became  their  grave,  had  they 
known  their  danger  ?  and  yet  they  ventured  thither  full  of  con- 
fidence, calculating  with  certainty  to  meet  their  friends  in  the 
space  of  three  or  four  days.  If  any  one  had  called  upon  them 
before  their  embarkation  and  admonished  them  to  repent  of  their 
wickedness,  because  in  less  than  a  week  they  would  be  sum- 
moned before  the  great  Judge  of  all :  would  they  have  heeded  ? 
would  they  not  have  called  the  preacher  an  alarmist  ?  a  false 
prophet  of  evil?  Still  their  security  would  have  been  imaginary, 
and  their  deferred  repentance  been  no  safeguard  against  the 
evil  which  had  been  decreed. — Our  end  does  approach,  our 
death  will  come,  whether  our  life  has  been  well  or  ill  spent ; 
the  dissolution  of  the  connection  between  body  and  soul  is  the 
common  fate  of  the  good  and  the  wicked,  of  him  who  feared 
God,  and  of  him  who  did  not  serve  his  Maker.  But  how  dif- 
ferent is  the  condition  of  the  one  from  that  of  the  other  ?  The 
servant  of  God  sees  his  end  draw  near,  and  his  stay  is  in  the 
Lord;  with  his  last  expiring  breath  he  sanctifies  his  Creator;  he 
rejoices  in  the  coming  reunion,  and  he  breathes  forth  his  spirit 


70  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

with  "  The  Lord  is  One"  upon  his  tongue  in  a  perfect  reliance  of 
a  better  world,  where  there  is  no  pain,  no  sorrow  !  The  sinner, 
however,  stands  upon  the  threshold  of  eternity  in  doubt  and 
trembling ;  he  fears  to  quit  this  life,  because  he  has  no  hope  of 
joys  hereafter ;  his  unwilling  spirit  trembles  as  it  is  summoned, 
and  the  feeble  prayer,  haply  too  late  essayed,  dies  away  un- 
uttered  amidst  the  agonies  of  a  violent  death  or  the  pain  of 
helpless  maladies.  Do  we,  however,  attend  well  to  this  con- 
sideration ?  is  our  conduct  such  as  reason  would  ask  ?  do  we 
choose  wisely  ?  are  we  servants  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  or 
are  we  unwilling  and  but  occasional  attendants  ?  how  does  the 
account  of  our  sins  stand  with  which  our  soul  is  loaded? — Alas! 
we  regard  but  rarely  our  perishable  state,  and  we  act  as  though 
we  were  immortal,  or  if  mortal,  unaccountable.  We  venture 
heedlessly  upon  the  bark  of  life,  we  are  impatient  to  commence 
a  brilliant  course,  we  wince  under  restraint,  and  trusting  to  the 
apparent  strength  and  security  of  our  position  we  hasten  upon 
the  broad  expanse  which  the  world  opens  to  our  charmed 
view.  How  gay  and  bright  every  thing  appears  in  the  hey- 
day of  youth !  how  unruffled,  how  calm  does  the  ocean  of  life 
seem  to  our  sight !  we  dream  not  there  is  danger,  we  heed  not 
the  quicksands  and  the  rocks  which  beset  our  career.  Speak 
to  us  of  caution,  we  scorn  the  thought ;  remind  us  of  the  duties 
of  religion,  we  laugh  at  the  folly  as  we  term  it  of  doting  age, 
at  the  superstition  of  frosty  years;  we  deem  ourselves  wise 
above  the  ancients,  more  intelligent  than  were  our  fathers 
before  us;  we  wish  not  to  know  the  law  of  God,  our  own 
reason  we  think  sufficient  to  guide  us  rightly,  we  care  not  to 
bow  at  the  altar  where  our  brothers  worship,  for  we  ask  not 
heavenly  aid  to  bless  our  undertakings. — It  is  well ; — God  is 
long-suffering,  He  punishes  not  instantly  the  sinner  in  his  trans- 
gressing, and  years  roll  on,  and  we  imagine  that  we  have  fairly 
proved  :  "  That  we  can  tempt  God  and  yet  escape."  But  our 
calm  Is  deceitful,  the  apparent  beauty  and  elegant  proportions 
of  the  bark  in  which  we  have  trusted  are  delusive,  and  the  storm 
of  adversity  will  assail  us  ere  we  heed  its  approach.  We  may 
struggle  a  while  against  the  contending  billows ;  we  may  essay, 
in  our  confidence  upon  our  own  strength,  to  avoid  the  destruc- 
tion which  we  see  impending ;  but  in  vain !  we  contend  against 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  77 

One  far  too  mighty  for  our  feebleness ;  we  strive  against  the 
decree  of  unerring  Wisdom,  and  lo !  the  fire  of  our  resistance 
is  quenched  by  the  accumulating  ills  that  beset  us,  and  our  bark 
lies  broken  upon  an  inhospitable  shore,  and  we  are  driven  from 
our  security,  floating  so  to  say  upon  some  portion  of  a  wreck 
at  the  mercy  of  the  waves  which  are  curling  and  wreathing 
over  our  devoted  heads. 

Happy  indeed  would  we  be,  if  amidst  adversity  we  would 
return  and  seek  the  Lord  and  his  strength ;  if  we  would  learn 
to  break  the  stubbornness  of  our  hearts  when  chastisement  has 
awakened  our   attention.     But   unfortunately  our   memory  of 
things  once  endured  is  very  short,  the  effect  of  calamity  as  an 
improver  of  the  heart  is  soon  blotted  out;  and  as  the  ship- 
wrecked mariner,  who  alone  survives  of  an  entire  crew,  will 
immediately,  on   his   wound   being   healed,   again   brave   the 
treacherous  main  :  so  do  we  throw  off  the  recollection  of  suf- 
ferings when  healing  has  been  vouchsafed  to  our  sorrows,  we 
sin  anew,  unmindful  of  the  Power  that  fain  would  teach  us 
wisdom, — like  Pharaoh  of  old  who  transgressed  again  when  he 
was  no  longer  terrified  by  the  unusual  voice  of  the  thunder,  the 
flashes  of  lightning,  the  murderous  hailstones,  and  the  sweeping 
rain.     Yes,  the  flood  of  adversity  is  past,  and  the  good  resolu- 
tion we  had  formed  is  also  vanished ;  we  go  on  as  we  were 
wont  to  do,  and  we  stand  with  a  bold  front,  daring  sinners,  in 
the  presence  of  the  merciful  Creator,  we  brave  afresh  his  ter- 
rors, forgetful  that  though  of  unending  kindness  He  is  an  up- 
right Judge  who  suffers   no  evil  to  go  unpunished.     Whilst 
suffering,  we  perceived  as  it  were  dimly  that  we  are  mortal ; 
whilst  calamities  assailed  us  we  yielded  that  our  power  is  not 
all-sufficient ;  whilst  the  weight  of  sorrow  pressed  heavily  on 
our  spirit  we  discovered  that  our  reason  can  become  clouded 
and  uncertain.     But  now  we  presume  again  to  tread  ambition's 
path  heedless  of  our  end ;  we  dive  into  business  speculation,  as 
though  we  could  command  success ;  we  are  again  confident  in 
our  wisdom,  we  again  press  onward,  transgressing  the  wisdom 
of  God,  relying  on  our  own  judgment  as  infallible.     What  else 
remains  for  a  merciful  Providence  but  to  afflict  us  again  and  to 
renew  the  admonition  which  wre  once  neglected  ? 

You  will  thus  see,  beloved  brethren,  that  the  calamities  of  life 

7* 


78  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

are  the  messengers  of  peace,  the  monitors  of  better  things  which 
are  to  fit  the  spirit  for  a  happier  and  better  life.  Mercies  make 
us  but  more  confident  of  our  own  prowess,  more  relying  on  our 
own  wisdom ;  but  adversities  prove  to  us  the  nothingness  of  all 
we  cling  to ;  the  ills  of  life  strip  it  of  its  delusive  colours,  and  point 
out  to  us  where  our  safety  lies,  where  the  haven  is  prepared  to 
offer  us  refuge  against  the  fury  of  the  storm.  Therefore  says 
Moses  in  his  prayer :  "  Thou  lurnest  men  to  contrition,  and 
sayest,  Return  ye  children  of  men ;"  meaning  that  the  dispen- 
sation  of  woes  will  lead  us  to  offer  the  sacrifice  of  a  contrite 
heart  to  our  Maker,  who  then  will  be  graciously  ready  to 
receive  back  into  his  paternal  embrace  the  returning  children 
of  men,  though  they  have  grievously  sinned.  It  is  in  his  dis- 
pensations that  God  speaketh  to  us,  and  well  it  is  for  us  if  we 
have  arrived  at  such  a  state  of  holiness  and  humility  that,  like 
the  bee  which  extracts  honey  from  every  flower,  we  are  able  to 
learn  wisdom  and  a  lesson  of  piety  from  every  punishment 
which  is  sent  to  try  our  constancy.— Therefore  also  continues 
the  prophet:  "Teach  us  to  number  our  days;"  meaning,  he 
prays  that  God  may  make  us  sensible  of  our  perishable  nature, 
that  He  may  instil  in  our  mind  the  conviction  that  our  days  are 
numbered — numbered  and  limited  by  the  indisputable  will  of  our 
Creator,  and  that  all  our  striving,  all  our  working,  all  our 
reaching  after  greatness,  all  our  hastening  after  wealth,  all  our 
lust  for  renown,  will  be  cut  short  by  the  enemy  that  lies  in  wait 
for  us  unperceived  upon  every  step  we  take,  ready  at  all  mo- 
ments to  bear  us  hence  whenever  we  are  summoned.  Yes,  he 
earnestly  entreats  for  grace  to  assist  us  to  humble  ourselves  as 
becomes  mortals  before  the  undying  One ;  and  he  adds  therefore 
"  That  we  may  apply  our  hearts  to  wisdom."  Does  he  mean 
that  worldly  wisdom  which  consists  only  in  an  accumulation  of 
ideas  derived  from  others,  a  great  and  general  knowledge  of 
the  structure  of  various  languages,  a  comprehensive  under- 
standing of  scientific  things,  or  that  peculiar  perception  of 
merely  tangible  advantages  which  enables  the  merchant  to 
dispose  of  his  wares  to  the  best  advantage,  and  stimulates  man 
to  try  schemes  for  the  acquisition  of  wealth  ?  By  no  means  ; 
for  such  wisdom,  useful  though  it  be  in  its  own  peculiar  province, 
is  not  that  which  will  assist  us  to  number  our  days,  it  is  not 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  79 

that  wisdom  which  can  teach  us  how  to  make  our  peace  with 
our  Maker.  The  wisdom  for  which  Moses  prayed  is  the 
knowledge  of  our  own  relation  to  God,  is  the  clear  perception 
of  the  duties  which  it  behooves  the  creature  to  assume  as  the 
child  of  the  great  Parent.  As  we  read  elsewhere  (Job  xxviii. 
27) :  "  And  He  said  to  man,  Behold !  to  fear  the  Lord  is 
wisdom,  and  to  eschew  evil  is  understanding."  If  we  are 
endowed  with  this  wisdom,  if  our  understanding  has  reached 
this  point  of  perfection,  we  can  then  look  upon  life  with  correct 
views;  all  our  acts  will  then  be  for  the  glorification  of  the  Lord, 
and  even  our  daily  toil  which  we  pursue  for  the  support  of  our 
bodily  functions  will  then  have  a  holy  object,  that  is,  we  will 
labour  in  our  calling  cheerfully,  willingly,  relying  upon  the 
mercy  of  God  to  prosper  our  undertaking  as  He  may  deem 
best,  and  we  will  then  not  repine  if  our  well-matured  schemes 
fail  to  answer  our  expectations. — This  wisdom  will  teach  us  to 
moderate  our  desires,  it  will  enable  us  to  restrain  our  passions, 
and  to  confine  all  our  actions  within  the  limits  of  the  law  of 
God.  It  will  assist  us  so  to  number  our  days,  that  looking  upon 
each  of  them  as  a  step  nearer  to  dissolution,  we  shall  become 
anxious  to  mark  it  with  a  virtuous  deed  which  is  to  speak  for 
us  upon  the  book  of  memorial  before  the  Lord  of  those  that 
fear  Him  and  think  upon  his  name ;  in  order  that  when  our 
race  is  run  there  may  not  be  a  single  day  which  could  accuse 
us  of  having  neglected  to  offer  on  it  an  acceptable  deed  to  the 
Deity. 

But,  brethren,  is  this  our  conduct  ?  does  not  many  a  day  pass 
in  utter  forgetfulness  of  God's  holy  law  ?  do  we  not  offend 
daily  in  our  body,  in  our  possessions,  in  our  spirit?  How  many 
of  us  there  are  who  regard  not  the  Sabbath  and  the  festivals, 
who  continue  their  labours  on  the  days  when  labour  is  sinful, 
not  minding  the  commandment  which  bids  them  rest,  because 
the  wisdom  of  God  has  so  ordained  it !  They  imagine  that 
their  wealth  will  be  increased  by  constant  toil,  by  unceasing 
attention  to  business  ;  the  Sabbath  therefore  comes,  ushering  in 
rest  and  joy  to  the  servants  of  the  Lord,  but  it  brings  no  rest, 
no  joy  to  them ;  the  house  of  prayer  receives  the  devout  wor- 
shippers, but  they  are  away ;  they  bear  publicly  burdens  from 
their  houses  on  the  Sabbath ;  their  places  of  business  are  open ; 


80  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

the  usual  enticements  to  the  passers  by  are  exposed ;  their 
workshops  are  not  closed,  their  tools  and  implements  of  trade 
are  not  unemployed,  and  they  restrain  not  their  feet  on  the  day 
of  rest,  but  they  pursue  journeys,  attend  to  their  avocations, 
and  will  not  put  faith  in  the  words  of  their  God  wh6  promises 
to  bless  their  repose  from  bodily  labour  on  the  day  devoted  to 
his  service.  How  many  excuses  are  framed  for  such  iniquity ! 
If  one  is  poor  he  avers  that  he  cannot  live  without  being 
constantly  employed ;  and  if  our  substance  is  great,  and  our 
engagements  extensive,  then  we  cannot  spare  the  time,  we 
would  be  too  great  losers  by  an  obedience  to  one  of  the  Ten 
Commandments.  So  fruitful  in  inventions  is  our  sinful  pro- 
pensity !  They  therefore  among  us  who  place  so  high  a  value 
upon  the  world  and  its  allurements  will  find  excuses  enough  to 
satisfy  themselves  for  their  wrong-doing.  But  let  them  beware ! 
They  deceive  not  by  such  miserable  pretences  the  Searcher  of 
hearts;  He  will  judge  of  their  doings  according  to  their  merit: 
and  their  neglecting  his  precepts,  their  pretended  unbelief  of 
their  necessity  and  usefulness  will  not  screen  them  from  responsi- 
bility. Yet  men  say,  that  they  see  no  evil  in  their  conduct;  whilst 
they  oflend  at  the  recurrence  of  the  appointed  time,  and  but  rare- 
ly does  any  special  occasion  summon  them  to  acts  of  worship, 
to  a  presence  in  the  house  of  prayer ;  whilst  they  are  strangers 
so  to  say  in  the  mansion  of  their  Father,  and  the  food  of  life, 
which  He  so  abundantly,  so  bountifully  supplies,  they  will  not 
receive,  they  will  not  taste.  Religious  wisdom  is  preached  to 
them,  truth  appeals  to  their  understanding ;  but  they  turn  a  deaf 
ear,  they  will  not  listen.  Is  this  the  course  of  wisdom  1  do  you 
call  that  numbering  your  days  ?  The  rather  it  seems  to  say, 
that  you  think  yourselves  enduring,  immovable  to  eternity, 
forgetful  that  you  are  but  of  yesterday,  and  will  speedily  return 
to  your  native  dust. 

Again  in  the. pursuit  of  carnal  indulgence,  in  the  use  of  for- 
bidden food,  in  the  revelling  in  benumbing  drink,  how  do  we 
miss  the  goal  of  our  being !  We  will  not  restrain  desires  till 
they  have  degenerated  into  sin;  we  will  swallow  whatever  food 
our  palate  may  crave;  we  will  drink  our  fill,  because  the  wine 
looks  so  tempting.  And  this  you  call  rational  worship  ?  Is  the 
service  of  the  desires  a  thing  so  well  becoming  accountable 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  gj 

humanity?  You  forget  that  you  live  only  through  God's  bounty; 
and  consider  that  what  his  law  declares  good  and  innocent  is 
alone  right  and  allowable;  there  is  nothing  right  which  this  law 
declares  wrong,  there  is  nothing  allowed  which  its  precepts 
prohibit. 

In  our  possessions  too  we  often  offend.  We  are  commanded 
to  love  our  neighbour  like  ourselves ;  and  still  we  fail  in  obe- 
dience to  this  primary  injunction.  We  expect  justice,  honesty, 
and  fair-dealing  from  others ;  we  blame  them  if  they  injure  us ; 
we  are  wroth  if  our  just  demands  are  not  attended  to,  if  our 
just  dues  are  withheld.  But  we  do  not  regard  others'  right  in 
the  same  point  of  view ;  we  are  overreaching,  cunning  in  our 
commerce  with  our  fellows,  and  apt  to  trample  on  their  rights, 
and  to  remain  deaf  to  their  remonstrance.  Self  is  uppermost, 
neighbourly  love  and  fellowship  disregarded.  The  demon  of 
gain,  the  unclean  spirit  of  injustice  reign  triumphant  in  our 
souls ;  and  we  will  not  hearken  to  the  poor  when  he  suppliant 
appeals  to  our  bounty,  we  will  not  do  justice  to  the  orphan,  the 
widow,  and  the  stranger,  because  there  is  no  one  to  plead  in 
their  behalf.  And  is  this  wisdom  ?  shall  we  number  our  days 
with  deeds  of  avarice,  of  cruelty,  of  oppression,  of  fraud,  of 
iniquity,  of  injustice?  shall  such  be  the  works  which  are  to  open 
to  us  the  gates  of  paradise  ? 

In  our  spirit  too. — How  often  does  devotion  yield  to  a  re- 
bellious thought !  do  we  not  many  a  time  arraign  the  justice  of 
the  Lord  ?  If  any  misfortune  comes  to  our  lot,  we  imagine 
ourselves  ill-used ;  does  not  success  attend  all  our  plans,  we 
regard  ourselves  as  overlooked  by  Providence.  Then  too  are 
the  sins  of  pride,  arrogance,  overbearing  conduct  to  equals  and 
inferiors,  disobedience  to  our  parents  and  teachers,  avarice, 
covetousness  and  the  contempt  of  lawful  authority;  all  these 
prove  that  our  soul  is  not  untainted  with  the  leaven  of  rebellion 
against  the  divine  rule;  that  we  imagine  ourselves  raised  above 
the  level  of  mankind,  and  that  we  claim  a  prerogative  which  is 
not  justly  ours,  and  which  has  never  been  conceded  to  us  by 
the  Lord,  who  alone  can  confer  power  on  man.  It  is  thus  we 
transgress  in  our  spirit,  because  feelings  like  the  above  are 
prohibited  in  the  law,  and  are  consequently  sinful  and  will  bar 
for  us  the  portals  of  salvation  ;  since  sentiments  of  this  nature 


82  THE  Ui\7CERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

are  not  only  wrong  in  themselves,  but  they  likewise  prompt  us 
to  actions  which  are  in  direct  opposition  to  the  precepts  of 
Scripture. 

Dark  indeed  is  the  picture  which  the  moralist  must,  in  de- 
ference to  truth,  draw  of  the  world  before  him  ;  God  has  made 
every  thing  beautiful ;  every  thing  works  for  a  wise  end  ;  in  all 
reigns  order  ;  in  all  we  discover  the  effect  of  design.  But  it  is 
man  alone  who  mars  the  harmony  of  nature;  it  is  he  alone  who 
rises  in  disobedience  above  the  divine  ordinances  of  the  Bible, 
who  sets  up  his  own  conceits,  his  own  false  notions  above  the 
truth  that  has  endured  for  ages  and  will  outlast  this  globe  we 
live  on.  Our  puerile  conception  of  what  we  understand,  of 
what  we  pretend  to  call  right  and  just,  we  set  above  the  divine 
wisdom  manifested  in  the  Revelation  on  Sinai,  and  we  harden 
our  heart,  we  avert  our  eye,  that  we  may  not  perchance  un- 
knowingly imbibe  true  knowledge.  But  brethren,  it  is  not  well 
that  this  is  so ;  each  of  us,  every  one  here  assembled,  has  the 
means  in  his  own  power,  has  the  weapon  in  his  own  hands,  to 
combat  the  enemy  to  his  everlasting  peace.  Let  us  but  lay 
aside  our  presumption;  let  us  but  turn  a  willing  ear  to  the 
guidance  of  God ;  let  us  but  regard  all  men  as  equal,  ourselves 
as  fallible  and  mortal;  search  for  wisdom  in  the  law  made 
known  through  Moses  and  the  prophets;  be  humble  in  spirit, 
just  in  our  dealings,  eager  in  the  pursuit  of  truth,  firm  in  faith, 
and  righteous  in  our  religious  actions :  and  we  stand  regene- 
rated, disenthralled,  we  also  will  then  form  a  beautiful  link  in 
the  divine  creation,  our  body  and  our  spirit  will  be  holy  to 
God,  our  deeds  and  our  thoughts  witnesses  of  his  goodness  and 
glory. 

How  grieved  would  you  all  be,  brethren  and  friends !  were  you 
to  be  certain  that  you  would  be  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  your  sins, 
unprepared,  unatoned !  How  horrible  would  the  weight  be 
which  a  conviction  of  the  enduring  displeasure  of  the  Creator 
would  cast  on  your  souls !  And  still  are  not  many  acting  as 
though  they  cared  not  about  the  load  of  sin  which  they  are  heap- 
ing up  ?  are  there  not  many  who  brave  the  Creator's  displeasure 
by  their  neglect  of  his  precepts,  by  the  estrangement  from  his 
service  ?  But  say  they  :  "  We  de  not  rebel,  we  know  God  is 
merciful,  He  will  not  take  us  away  in  the  midst  of  our  trans- 


THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE.  §3 

gressions ;  we  have  yet  ample  time  to  repent  and  to  make  our 
peace  before  we  die !"  If  any  one  here  present  thinks  so,  he 
greatly  errs.  God  is  merciful,  but  this  is  no  warrant  for  our 
transgressing ;  He  may  not  strike  man  with  instant  death  when 
he  knowingly  and  wilfully  sins  ;  but  let  no  one  imagine  that  it  is 
wise  to  defer  repentance  from  day  to  day ;  we  have  no  guaran- 
tee, no  surety  in  life;  every  moment  may  be  our  last;  a  thou- 
sand agents  are  at  every  period  ready  to  cut  short  our  days,  and 
the  opportunity  for  amendment  once  neglected  may  never  again 
be  offered.  Be  warned  therefore  whilst  it  is  yet  time ;  at  once 
resolve  to  act  as  Israelites,  as  servants  of  the  Most  High ;  pause, 
reflect,  and  sin  no  more.  The  hand  of  Mercy  is  ever  out- 
stretched to  receive  the  returning  child ;  grasp  it  now,  hold  it 
for  ever,  it  is  your  only  stay  in  sorrow',  your  only  support  at  the 
hour  of  death.  Heed  you  the  voice  which  calls  to  you  ?  discover 
you  not  the  goodness  that  wishes  to  teach  you  ?  It  is  your  God 
whose  voice  you  hear,  He  speaks  through  your  conscience, 
through  the  Scriptures  which  He  gave  you  as  an  inheritance, 
through  the  instruction  which  is  conveyed  to  you  by  his  ser- 
vants. It  is  the  Creator  whose  goodness  surrounds  you  whilst 
waking,  whilst  sleeping ;  mid  joy,  mid  sorrow ;  in  health,  in  sick- 
ness ;  through  life,  through  the  hour  of  death.  Come,  arouse 
ye!  become  his  servants;  remember  the  Sabbath  to  keep  it  holy; 
observe  the  festivals,  the  sign  of  the  Eternal's  power,  of  your 
debt  of  gratitude  as  sons  of  Israel ;  be  holy  in  your  persons ; 
touch  not  the  food  which  the  law  forbids ;  be  humble  before  your 
Maker,  be  confident  only  in  his  wisdom ;  and  above  all  love 
your  neighbour  like  yourselves,  and  devote  to  God  every  hour 
of  your  life,  and  serve  Him  with  all  your  heart  and  all  your 
soul.  Then  will  you  be  accepted,  and  in  accordance  with 
the  words  of  the  prophet  you  will,  in  the  blessed  existence  which 
awaits  the  righteous,  "  renew  your  strength,  you  will  mount  up 
with  wings,  as  eagles,  you  will  run  and  not  be  weary,  and  you 
will  walk  and  not  become  faint."  In  this  manner  your  youth 
will  ever  last,  your  strength  will  never  fail;  and  this  will  be  your 
sure  reward,  if  you  have  learnt  well  to  number  your  days,  and 
applied  your  hearts  to  wisdom. 

Lord  of  all !  guide  us,  teach  us,  to  know  thy  ways :  bless  us 
with  thy  goodness,  satisfy  with  thy  bounty.     Let  thy  words  be 


34  THE  UNCERTAINTY  OF  LIFE. 

sweet  to  our  ears,  that  we  may  drink  of  their  refreshing  stream 
which  leads  unto  happiness.  Let  us  live  to  see  the  wonders  of 
thy  law,  and  close  not  our  days,  until  that  we  have  been  spared 
and  admonished  to  return  unto  Thee  with  a  perfect  heart  and  a 
sincere  repentance..  Subdue  our  heart  that  it  may  devote  itself 
entirely  to  Thee,  and  take  not  from  us  thy  liberal  spirit  of  grace 
and  holiness,  and  remove  from  our  path  the  obstacles  which 
strive  to  lead  us  astray ;  in  order  that  all  Israel  may  learn  to 
walk  in  thy  ordinances  all  the  days  of  their  perishable  life.  And 
rnay  the  merits  of  our  forefathers  plead  for  us  their  descendants, 
and  let  the  redeemer  come  to  Zion,  even  thy  servant  David 
under  whose  shadow  we  shall  live  securely  among  nations. 
Amen. 

Nissan  12th  >  ^rnn 

A       -i  i  K.U      /  OOuU. 

April  15th    $ 

NOTE. — In  explanation  of  the  account  of  the  distressing  catastrophe  in- 
troduced into  the  above  Discourse,  I  will  briefly  state  that  the  steam-packet 
Home,  Captain  White,  departed  from  New  York  for  Charleston  on,  I  believe, 
her  second  voyage,  on  Sabbath  afternoon  the  7th  of  October  1837,  and  after 
encountering  the  furious  gale  I  have  attempted  to  describe,  went  ashore  near 
one  of  the  capes  in  North  Carolina  some  time  in  the  evening  of  Monday  the 
9th,  being  as  I  stated  about  the  close  of  the  Day  of  Atonement.  Out  of  ninety 
passengers  twenty  only  reached  the  shore ;  among  those  lost  were  at  least 
three  Jewish  females  and  one  man  belonging  to  our  people,  and  among  those 
saved  was  but  one  Jewish  gentleman,  who  saw  his  brother  swept  off  from 
the  wreck  without  being  able  to  render  him  the  least  assistance;  he  yet  sur- 
vives, and  I  obtained  from  him  several  of  the  particulars  as  I  have  related 
them.  The  crew  consisted  of  forty-Jive  persons,  of  whom  but  twenty  were 
saved,  including  the  captain. — As  this  heart-rending  occurrence  was  one  of 
those  great  exhibitions  of  human  weakness  when  contending  against  the 
agents  of  the  Creator  which  we  sometimes  witness:  I  thought  myself  justi- 
fied in  offering  it  to  the  consideration  of  the  brethren  as  an  incentive  to  re- 
flection upon  the  uncertainty  of  human  life  and  the  instability  of  our  fancied 
security ;  altho'  I  fear  that  it  may  recall  painful  recollections  in  the  minds 
of  several  who  have  cause  to  remember  the  friends  that  perished  in  the 
wreck  of  the  Home. 


85 


DISCOURSE  VIII. 

THE    REVELATION    ON    SINAI. 

(PENTECOST,   5600.) 

THINE,  O  Lord,  is  the  power  and  the  glory,  and  all  on  earth 
obeys  thy  sway;  and  there  too,  whither  our  eyes  cannot  reach, 
nor  our  understanding  penetrate,  Thou  reignest  in  majesty  su- 
preme. Spirits  bright  around  thy  throne  are  standing,  cheru- 
bim great  to  Thee  bend  the  knee ;  yet  unto  them  also,  and  to 
them  that  up-bear  thy  mercy-seat  art  Thou  concealed,  a  mys- 
tery too  great  to  be  by  them  solved.  How  then  can  the  son  of 
earth  dare  to  ask,  "What  art  Thou  ?"  how  dare  a  mortal  inquire, 
"  What  doest  Thou  ?"  Yet  despite  our  lowliness  and  thy  awful 
exaltation,  it  did  please  Thee  in  former  days  to  descend  in  thy 
glory  upon  the  mountain  in  the  desert  whither  Thou  hadst  led 
our  forefathers,  and  there  to  give  unto  them  the  commandments 
and  statutes  which  Thou  hadst  ordained  for  our  salvation.  It 
was  then  that  thy  goodness  was  made  manifest ;  it  was  then 
that  mankind  were  informed  how  to  live  in  obedience  to  thy 
behests ;  and  we,  thy  people  Israel  were  chosen  to  be  a  beacon 
unto  all  other  men,  teaching  by  our  existence,  proclaiming  by 
our  permanence,  that  Thou,  O  our  Father !  art  God  alone,  and 
that  Thou  art  indeed  the  Creator,  Ruler,  and  Saviour  of  all  the 
works  of  thy  hands.  Do  Thou  again  this  day  and  all  the  days 
of  our  being  renew  in  our  souls  the  fear  and  love  to  Thee!  again 
proclaim  to  our  spirits  thy  pure  and  holy  word !  cleanse  us, 
that  we  may  be  made  obedient,  and  stretch  forth  thy  guiding 
./hand,  that,  like  innocent  children  under  the  guidance  of  the 
father,  we  may  be  received  back  in  thy  dwelling  in  purity  and 
innocence,  when  our  souls  are  demanded  back  unto  Thee,  and 
our  bodies  be  laid  in  the  silent  grave  there  to  rest  till  thy  crea- 
tive word  calls  us  forth  anew  unto  life  everlasting.  May  this 
'  be  thy  will.  Amen. 
VOL.  in. — 8 


gg  THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI. 

BRETHREN ! 

On  a  day  like  this,  when  we  are  assembled  to  thank  the  Lord 
at  the  time  of  our  festivity  for  his  mercy  in  giving  us  his  laws 
and  statutes,  it  is  well  becoming  in  every  son  of  Israel  to  dwell 
for  a  space  upon  the  benefits  resulting  from  the  event  which  we 
celebrate.     Were  it,  that  the  Pentecost  had  been  instituted  to 
commemorate  the  slaughter  of  myriads  of  enemies,  the  con- 
quest of  a  thousand  cities,  the  subduing  of  numerous  nations  to 
our  rule :  then  indeed  might  there  be  many  who  would  feel  that 
they  could  not  rejoice  at  our  rejoicing,  who  could  experience 
grief  only  at  our  success.     But  the  Pentecost,  and  in  truth  all 
our  festivals,  stand  aione  in  that  from  all  other  festivals;  we  cel- 
ebrate not  the  disjunction  of  political  communities;  the  origin 
of  a  sect;  the  birth  of  an  individual;  the  conquests  of  our  party 
and  the  downfall  of  our  antagonists; — no!  we  celebrate  the  good- 
ness of  God,  we  rejoice  because  of  his  salvation;  we  return 
thanks  for  a  people  redeemed,  for  a  world  regenerated !     Yes, 
our  fathers  had  been  taken  from  the  midst  of  another  people, 
their  tyrants  and  oppressors ;  they  were  tainted  with  many  vices, 
corrupted  by  the  leaven  of  idolatry,  subdued  by  the  superstition 
of  priestcraft.   Their  bodies,  it  is  true,  had  been  withdrawn  from 
the  bondage  of  Egyptian  task-masters,  but  their  spirits  were 
not  yet  disenthralled;  the  flesh  was  free,  but  the  soul  yet  lingered 
under  the  most  cruel  slavery.     In  what  were  we  then  distin- 
guished from  other  nations  ?  only  in  the  merit  of  our  patriarchal 
ancestors  and  the  submission  with  which  we  had  followed  our 
God  into  the  desert  and  through  the  waves  of  the  Arabian  Sea. 
We  had  proved  that 'we  could  confide  in  the  Lord;  we  had 
shown  that  we  were  ready  to  receive  the  heavenly  yoke,  the 
law,  which  should  henceforward  render  us  the  servants  only  of 
Heaven,  controlled  by  and  enslaved  to  no  human  power.     And 
this  alone  had  been  the  object  of  Providence  in  ^his  sending 
Moses  to  ask  of  Pharaoh  the  liberation  of  the  Israelites,  and  this 
had  been  the  reason  why  so  many  astounding  miracles  were  per- 
formed to  effect  the  demand  made  by  the  prophet,  in  order  to 
demonstrate  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  the  overruling  power  and 
wisdom  of  the  Lord. 

It  is  known  to  you,  that,  true  to  human  nature,  Pharaoh 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  97 

would  not  listen  to  forego  what  he  thought  his  rights  to  the 
services  of  the  Israelites;  he  hurled  contempt  at  Moses  and 
Aaron  when  they  addressed  him  in  the  name  of  an  unknown 
God ;  he  refused  to  regard  the  threats  of  the  Everlasting  One, 
of  whom  his  false  priests  had  never  spoken,  believing  himself 
secure  in  the  recesses  of  his  palaces,  in  the  multitude  of  his 
retinue,  from  the  vengeance  of  a  Deity  of  whose  existence  he 
professed  to  know  nothing.  He  had  been  taught  to  regard 
his  own  will  as  supreme ;  his  priests  spoke  of  a  multitude  of 
gods,  of  antagonizing  principles  who  shared  the  rule  of  the 
world ;  creature  and  Creator  were  mixed  up  in  his  philosophy, 
and  truth,  if  any  there  was  in  his  system,  was  choked  by  the 
rank  weeds  of  fable  and  human  invention.  In  all  his  land  the 
gigantic  images  of  monstrous  malformations  and  of  animals,  be 
they  man,  quadruped,  bird,  amphibious  or  insect,  were  adored, 
as  emblems  if  you  will,  but  still  adored  as  images  of  deified 
things.  A  caste  of  priests,  selected  and  set  apart  from  all  the 
rest  of  the  people,  had  the  custody  of  all  the  avenues  of  informa- 
tion and  knowledge ;  devices,  many  and  varied,  had  been  in- 
troduced, fraud  and  trick  resorted  to,  to  give  stability  to  the 
opinions  which  they  professed,  and  even  from  the  burdens  of 
the  state  had  they  been  freed  from  time  immemorial.  Systems, 
somewhat  different,  but  nowise  better,  had  taken  root  in  all 
other  lands  ;  one  nation  worshipped  stocks  and  stones ;  another 
incarnations  of  their  deities ;  another  the  starry  firmament,  the 
works  of  the  Author  of  all ;  another  a  spirit  of  good  and  a  spirit 
of  evil ;  another  yet  the  monstrous  product  of  some  mischievous 
brain,  on  whose  extended  heated  arms  innocent  children  were 
by  their  parents  roasted  alive  as  acceptable  sacrifices.  No- 
where then  was  a  nation  who  called  on  the  God  who  had  ap- 
peared unto  Abraham ;  nowhere  was  there  a  people  who 
adored  the  Creator  and  Ruler  of  all  things.  Do  you  therefore 
wonder  that  Pharaoh  resisted  the  divine  command  ?  It  would 
have  been  incredible,  if  the  Scriptures  had  recorded  that  he  had 
obeyed  ;  we  might  then  have  alleged  that  it  is  impossible  to  be- 
lieve that  the  king  of  Egypt  could  have  paid  any  regard  to  the 
injunctions  of  a  Deity  to  whom  neither  he  nor  the  surrounding 
nations  paid  any  allegiance.  Yet,  it  was  necessary  that  in 
accordance  with  the  promises  made  to  Abraham  the  Israelites 


8$  THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI. 

should  not  only  be  let  go  free,  but  that  all  the  other  nations 
likewise  should  through  them  be  blessed.  It  therefore  did 
happen,  that  God  the  Lord,  who  had  announced  his  being  and 
his  command,  did  not  long  suffer  Pharaoh  to  remain  in  igno- 
rance of  his  power.  He  could,  if  so  He  had  chosen,  have  taken 
the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt  without  punishing  the  Egyptians  and 
without  any  delay ;  for  to  suppose  otherwise  would  be  limiting 
the  power  of  Him,  the  Supreme.  But  if  this  procedure  had  been 
adopted,  there  would  necessarily  have  been  but  little  instruction 
afforded  both  to  Israelites  and  Egyptians ;  for  the  first  would 
only  have  seen  in  their  liberation  an  act  of  extraordinary  good- 
ness of  some  unknown  invisible  Power,  who  though  kind  and 
powerful  might  be  indifferent  about  obedience  and  submission 
to  his  will ;  and  the  latter  would  have  regarded  it  doubtlessly 
as  a  display  of  a  great  superiority  over  the  civil  authority  of 
their  land,  but  still  might  have  been  left  in  doubt  whether  the 
new  Deity  had  any  absolute  superiority  in  a  long  contest  over 
their  acknowledged  divinities.  But  the  Lord  wished  to  instruct, 
to  chastise,  to  correct,  to  enlighten ;  He  wanted  not  merely  to 
redeem  the  Israelites  according  to  his  promise,  but  to  prove 
also  to  them  and  their  masters,  that  there  exists  One,  of  un- 
ending goodness,  of  infinite  power,  to  whom  all  must  yield  obe- 
dience ;  that  He  is  not  only  good,  but  also  watchful  over  the 
affairs  of  man ;  not  alone  beneficent,  but  likewise  heeding  of 
justice,  even-handed  justice,  and  that  retribution  is  a  part  of  his 
economy  no  less  than  it  accords  with  his  uprightness  to  reward 
and  to  favour  the  good ;  and  lastly,  that  his  might  is  not  merely 
the  display  of  a  momentary  superiority  over  civil  rulers,  but 
that  it  extends  over  all  that  exists,  over  all  that  can  have  being, 
that  there  is  no  material  thing,  no  spiritual  being,  but  is  subject 
to  his  control,  destructible  at  his  bidding. 

Heathens,  the  most  enlightened  even,  imagined  that  there 
existed  local  deities,  tutelary  powers  over  certain  places  and 
countries,  independent  of  each  other,  and  not  seldom  engaged, 
mortal-like,  in  a  conflict  for  the  superiority.  Were  it  necessary 
it  would  be  easy  enough  to  produce  innumerable  instances  from 
profane  history  as  well  as  Scripture  to  prove  this  fact;  but  in- 
dependently of  its  leading  us  too  far  into  historical  researches, 
the  house  of  God  is  not  the  place  to  open  such  a  discussion ; 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  99 

for  the  subject  is  connected  with  too  many  immoralities,  and 
exhibits  too  glaringly  the  degraded  state  of  human  reason  when 
unassisted  by  divine  wisdom,  not  to  give,  when  viewed  at  large, 
more  disgust  than  instruction.  Enough,  that  heathens  regarded 
the  earth,  the  sky,  the  sea,  the  infernal  regions,  the  sun,  every 
separate  planet,  as  beings  capable  of  working  their  pleasure 
under  the  sole  limitation  of  some  chief  among  them,  and  subject 
to  the  decrees  of  an  inevitable  fate  WHATEVER  THIS  MIGHT  BE.  If 
therefore  any  event  occurred  it  was  easy  enough  for  the  priests 
of  falsehood  to  ascribe  the  cause  to  the  temporary  prevalence 
of  some  one  or  more  of  their  numerous  tutelary  objects  of 
worship.  Moreover  the  idolaters  of  the  olden  days  never  ob- 
jected to  accept  a  new  deity  among  and  in  addition  to  their 
long  catalogue ;  provided,  they  could  be  made  to  believe  that 
the  new  claimant  of  adoration  possessed  some  power  for  good 
or  for  evil.  They  did  not  perhaps  change  their  former  gods, 
but  they  certainly  admitted  the  power  and  dignity  of  the  new 
claimants  that  were  offered  to  them.  A  remarkable  instance 
of  this  fallacy  (where  a  special  and  local  power  was  admitted) 
is  found  in  the  twentieth  chapter  of  the  first  book  of  Kings. 
Ben-hadad  king  of  Syria  had  made  an  attack  upon  Samaria 
the  capital  of  Ahab,  the  sinful  king  of  Israel.  Unexpectedly  both 
to  Ahab  and  Ben-hadad  the  latter  was  signally  defeated  in  a 
sortie  made  by  a  small  number  of  devoted  young  men,  by  direc- 
tion of  a  prophet,  in  order  to  convince  the  unworthy  chief  of 
God's  people,  that  it  is  only  by  the  assistance  of  the  Lord  that 
the  affairs  of  man  are  directed.  Ben-hadad's  servants  were 
likewise  convinced,  that  in  agreement  with  facts  recorded  in 
history  it  had  pleased  the  Lord  to  grant  victory  to  the  arms  of 
Israel,  though  they  were  at  that  time  deeply  sunk  into  idolatry. 
But  whilst  they  admitted  the  power  of  Israel's  God,  they  fan- 
cied that  it  was  not  universal;  and  they  therefore  spoke  to 
their  master :  "  Their  gods  are  gods  of  the  hills,  therefore  they 
were  stronger  than  we ;  but  let  us  fight  against  them  in  the 
plains,  and  surely  we  shall  be  stronger  than  they."  They 
accordingly  persuaded  the  king  of  Syria  to  renew  his  attack, 
but  to  select  a  plain  for  his  battle-ground,  hoping  thereby  to 
prevail  through  the  power  of  their  gods  of  the  plain  over  the 
mountain-sods  of  Israel.  We  now  read  in  continuation:  "And 


J)0  THE  REVELATION"  ON  SI.XAI. 

there  came  a  man  of  God,  and  spoke  unto  the  king  of  Israel, 
and  said,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Because  the  Syrians  have  said, 
The  Lord  is  God  of  the  hills,  but  He  is  not  God  of  the  valleys, 
therefore  will  I  deliver  all  this  great  multitude  into  thy  hands, 
and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord."  Of  course  the  predic- 
tion was  fulfilled,  and  the  slaughtered  thousands  testified  that 
the  power  of  our  God  is  not  limited  by,  nor  confined,  to  any 
place  or  station. — All  that  was  intended  to  be  proved  is,  that 
heathenism  in  its  greatest  perfection,  in  ancient  times  as  well 
as  in  the  more  modern,  had  always  about  the  same  idea  of  the 
ability  of  God  to  effect  his  purposes  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  idolaters 
divided  the  authority  which  the  Scriptures  teach  us  to  ascribe 
to  the  Omnipotent  alone  among  the  various  and  independent  in- 
dividuals which  figure  in  their  so  called  mythology. 

As  it  was  now  the  purpose  of  God  to  erect  the  descendants 
of  Israel  into  a  people  holy  to  his  services,  it  was  but  proper  to 
imbue  their  minds  at  the  outset  with  convincing  proofs  of  his 
omnipotence.  He  therefore  did  not  merely  effect  their  libera- 
tion by  a  solitary  exhibition  of  superior  power,  which  as  we 
have  said  it  was  possible  for  Him  to  do ;  but  He  permitted  the 
stubbornness  of  Pharaoh  to  yield  by  degrees  only  to  the  con- 
viction which  was  wrought  gradually  through  the  exhibition  of 
deeds  which  showed  beyond  the  possibility  of  doubt  the  utter 
insignificance  of  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  to  do  the  least  in  ward- 
ing off,  or  staying,  or  diminishing  any  of  the  inflictions  which 
it  pleased  God  to  send.  The  river  rolled  sea-ward  in  one 
bloody  stream,  the  fishes  it  harboured  were  thrown  dead  upon 
the  pestilential  shore ;  but  the  healthy  flood  only  returned  upon 
the  bidding  of  the  Lord.  Frogs  in  disgusting  swarms  insinuated 
themselves  everywhere ;  but  they  quitted  the  afflicted  land 
only  when  the  prophet  prayed  to  God  to  spare  his  treacherous 
enemies.  Noxious  insects  and  savage  beasts  desolated  the  plains 
of  the  sons  of  Ham ;  a  pestilence  swept  off  the  cattle  of  the 
Egyptians  whilst  of  Israel's  not  one  died ;  terrible  blains  infected 
the  bodies  of  the  priests  even ;  hail  in  destructive  masses  deso- 
lated the  fields,  locusts  devoured  what  the  hail  had  spared ;  and 
still  it  was  only  the  prophet's  supplication  that  afforded  enlarge- 
ment. At  bright  daylight  too  the  sun  was  darkened,  for  three 
days  impenetrable  gloom  rested  on  the  dwellings  of  the  Egyp- 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  91 

tians ;  and  still  no  power  save  the  Lord's  granted  relief.  And 
lastly  the  terrible  slaughter  of  the  first-born  and  the  demolition 
by  invisible  hands  of  the  statues  of  idols  told  in  language  not  to 
be  misunderstood,  that  to  God  alone  belongeth  the  kingdom,  and 
that  his  rule  extendeth  over  all.  The  whole  display  of  these  mira- 
culous events  must  therefore  have  stamped  upon  the  minds  of 
Israelites  as  well  as  of  Egyptians,  that  the  Power  which  set  Israel 
free  is  a  universal  Power,  a  Deity  not  only  of  mountains,  but  also 
of  valleys ;  not  a  God  merely  of  light,  but  also  the  God  of  dark- 
ness ;  not  alone  the  Dispenser  of  life,  but  also  the  Dispenser  of 
death ;  in  short  the  universal  God,  the  sole  Creator,  the  only  Ru- 
ler! And  so  we  read  (Exodus  ix.  15,  16) :  "  For  if  I  had  de- 
sired I  could  have  stretched  out  my  hand,  and  smitten  thee  and 
thy  people  with  the  pestilence,  and  thou  wouldst  have  been  cut 
off  from  the  earth.  But  for  this  cause  did  I  suffer  thee  to  remain, 
in  order  to  show  thee  my  power,  and  to  declare  my  name 
throughout  all  the  earth."  We  therefore  see,  that  the  lessons 
in  obedience  to  the  divine  command  conveyed  to  him  by  Moses 
which  Pharaoh  received  were  the  only  natural  way,  though  the 
means  employed  were  miraculous,  to  force  conviction  upon  an 
obdurate  heart ;  and  these  means  produced  at  length  the  effect 
which  the  Lord  had  in  view,  and  the  Israelites  were  driven 
forth  from  Egypt  to  meet  their  destinies  in  the  desert  of  Arabia. 
Let  us  consider :  if  Pharaoh  had  in  this  manner  been  in- 
structed and  taught  how  great,  how  irresistible  God  is,  the 
same  lesson  must  naturally  have  been  impressed  upon  his  own 
people  and  the  Israelites  also ;  for  the  former  had  shared  the 
punishment  of  their  king,  and  the  latter  had  been  they  for  whose 
behalf  all  these  great  and  fearful  things  had  been  done. — With 
this  knowledge  the  Israelites  arrived  at  the  shore  of  the  Red 
Sea.  But  still  their  confidence  was  not  completely  established ; 
they  were  terrified  because  of  the  horsemen  and  chariots  of 
their  pursuers,  and  they  deplored  that  thay  had  not  remained 
the  willing  slaves  of  the  Egyptians.  These  too  had  speedily 
forgotten  their  sufferings  no  less  than  the  others  their  delivei*- 
ance.  Again  therefore  a  mighty  deed  was  done ;  the  waters 
divided,  being  piled  up  like  walls  by  the  stormwind  of  the  Lord  ; 
Jacob's  sons  passed  through  on  dry  land,  and  they  who  threa- 
tened to  enslave  them  again  to  hopeless  servitude  were  over- 


92  THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI. 

turned  amid  the  returning  billows.  Faintheartedness  then  fled, 
when  the  shore  was  strewn  with  the  bodies  of  the  horse  and 
his  rider,  "  and  the  people  feared  the  Lord,  and  they  trusted  in 
the  Lord  and  in  his  servant  Moses." 

All  this  mighty  work  of  God  had  well  prepared  the  Israelites 
to  acknowledge  Him  the  Lord  as  their  Sovereign ;  for  to  Him 
alone  were  they  indebted,  almost  spite  of  themselves,  for  their 
freedom,  for  their  glorious  liberty,  which  now  cheered  them  on. 
They  might  now  speak  how  for  their  sakes  great  deeds  had 
been  done,  how  their  trusty  leader  had  exhibited  a  power  which 
humbled  a  great  king,  and  brought  a  whole  people  to  repentance. 
An  insidious  enemy  too,  who  had  surprised  them  with  his  armed 
bands  had  been  signally  overcome  by  the  blessed  prowess  of  the 
young  disciple  of  Moses.  Farther,  when  they  asked  for  bread  it 
was  bounteously  showered  down  to  them  without  requiring  of 
them  ploughing  or  reaping ;  and  when  water  was  needed,  in  a 
land  sterile  and  dry,  the  flinty  rock  yielded  the  refreshing  ele- 
ment. After  all  thes.e  things  had  been  accomplished,  when 
every  day  almost  had  given  them  new  inducements  for  thank- 
fulness and  admiration :  our  ancestors  were  brought  to  the  foot 
of  Horeb,  where  they  should,  as  had  been  foretold,  be  taught 
how  to  serve  their  God.  And  now  continues  the  text  (Exodus 
xix.)  as  follows :  "  And  Moses  went  up  unto  God,  and  the  Lord 
called  unto  him  from  the  mountain,  saying,  Thus  shalt  thou  say 
to  the  house  of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  children  of  Israel.  Ye  have 
seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I  bore  you  on 
eagles'  wings,  and  brought  you  unto  myself.  Now,  therefore, 
if  ye  will  obey  my  voice,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then  shall  ye 
be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above  all  nations,  for  all  the 
earth  is  mine.  And  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests 
and  a  holy  nation.  These  are  the  words  which  thou  shalt 
speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel."  Here  are  clearly  stated  the 
reasons  of  the  redemption  and  the  terms  of  the  covenant.  Says 
the  text,  "  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians."  You 
yourselves  were  witnesses  of  my  power  ;  it  is  not  upon  hearsay 
you  are  to  acknowledge  my  omnipotence — it  is  not  a  doubtful 
authority  which  you  are  to  regard ;  for  you  in  your  own  per- 
sons were  the  recipients  of  the  bounty,  witnesses  of  the  glory 
of  your  God,  that  you  might  know  that  I,  even  I  alone,  am  the 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  93 

Being  who  cast  down  and  exalt,  the  sole  Almighty,  to  whom 
all  must  submit.  You  also  experienced  my  protection  after 
you  quitted  the  land  of  your  servitude.  You  were  surrounded 
by  dangers,  the  sea  before  you,  behind  you  the  vengeful  host 
of  the  pursuing  tyrant ;  again  Amalek  attacked  you,  when  you 
thought  only  of  pursuing  in  quiet  your  way ;  but  you  were 
borne  aloft  clear  of  all  obstruction  by  your  God  and  Saviour ; 
like  the  eagle  who  soaring  in  his  flight  above  the  whole  fea- 
thered tribe  bears  away  her  young  to  a  place  of  safety,  inter-' 
posing  her  own  body  to  the  dart  of  the  fowler :  thus  were 
you  shielded,  protected,  and  saved.  But  if  you  ask,  "  Why 
was  this  done  ?"  then  know,  that  to  your  ancestors  I  have  sworn 
that  I  would  redeem  you  when  the  time  of  your  wandering  had 
expired,  to  raise  you  up  to  be  my  people.  It  is  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  this  promise  that  I  bared  my  arm  against  your  oppres- 
sors, that  I  smote  them  with  many  plagues  ;  that  I  humbled  the 
pride  of  idolaters  ;  that  I  proved  the  helplessness  of  the  idols 
they  worship,  in  order  to  teach  you  to  regard  me  alone  as  your 
God,  who  alone  am  holy,  who  alone  am  able  to  save.  It  is 
now  in  your  own  option  to  merit  my  blessing ;  by  this,  that 
you  rigidly  obey  the  commandments  which  I  am  about  to  offer 
to  your  acceptance,  and  do  on  your  part  all  that  your  God  can 
ask  of  you  as  the  people  who  have  entered  into  a  covenant  with 
Him,  to  do  his  behests  for  the  protection  which  will  be  vouch- 
safed to  you.  It  is  not  any  benefit  for  myself  which  I  ask  ;  for 
all  the  earth  is  mine,  you  cannot  benefit  me,  your  virtue,  your 
righteousness  cannot  render  my  happiness  and  my  perfection 
more  complete  than  they  now  are ;  but  all  the  good  which  is 
to  result  is  to  revert  to  yourselves ;  you  shall  be  a  treasure 
more  than  all  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  more  favoured,  more 
instructed,  more  holy,  more  beloved,  but  also  more  watched, 
more  accountable  for  all  your  doings,  because  having  more 
light  and  being  nearer  to  me,  you  must  expect  to  receive  retri- 
bution whenever  you  merit  it.  Says  the  verse,  «'  For  all  the 
earth  is  mine."  I  have  reared  you  under  suffering  and  tribula- 
tion to  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  capable  to  do  all  that  my  will 
desires  ;  you  have  learnt  this  lesson  more  than  any  other  peo- 
ple ;  therefore  in  my  wisdom  do  I  now  appoint  you,  if  you  are 
willing,  to  receive  my  law,  my  covenant,  which  you  are  to 


94  THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI. 

keep  sacred  and  untouched,  as  your  birthright,  your  inheri- 
tance, as  men  of  the  house  of  Israel,  and  which  will  at  length 
be  THE  blessing  to  all  the  earth,  which  I  announced  to  your 
fathers. 

Thus  spoke  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  Moses  descended  from  the 
mount  and  announced  the  word  with  which  he  had  been  charged. 
It  is  possible,  nay  probable,  that  the  people  had  all  along  believed 
that  they  were  merely  to  offer  sacrifices,  after  the  manner  of 
their  ancestors,  to  the  Lord  after  their  deliverance  ;  but  they 
could  hardly  have  known  that  a  new  dispensation  was  to  be 
entrusted  to  their  safekeeping.  How  great,  therefore,  must 
have  been  their  joy  when  their  high  destiny  was  announced  to 
them,  and  with  how  much  willingness  must  they  have  an- 
swered :  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do."  The 
Father  of  all  received  in  favour  the  reply  with  which  the  prophet 
was  charged,  and  He  spoke  as  follows  : 


pyn  zyi  ytf  KS  »DJK  run 

'o  D*  maw     • 


"  Behold  I  will  come  unto  thee  in  a  thick  cloud,  that  the  people  may  hear 
when  I  speak  with  thee,  and  in  thee  also  they  shall  believe  forever." 

EXODUS  xix.  9. 

The  people  having  signified  their  readiness  to  become  the 
servants  of  the  Lord,  He  informed  Moses,  that  the  legislation 
should  be  public,  that  the  whole  entire  nation  should  be  the" 
witnesses  of  their  spiritual  as  they  had  been  of  their  bodily 
disenthralment  ;  so  that  not  one  should  have  occasion  to  tell  the 
other  what  are  the  doctrines  of  salvation.  Another  reason  for 
this  procedure  should  be  the  attestation  of  the  truth  of  Moses, 
who  had  been  the  instrument  of  their  redemption.  God  in- 
tended to  crown  him  publicly  with  the  attribute  of  faithfulness, 
to  impress  upon  all  that  he  was  a  righteous  servant,  and  to 
insure  that  whatever  he  might  hereafter  be  deputed  to  teach 
should  be  received  by  his  brothers  as  the  truth  received  from 
God. 

Three  days  after  the  annunciation  the  people  were  aroused 
by  the  loud  voice  of  thunder  ;  fires  flashed  from  amidst  the 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  95 

deepest  gloom,  the  earth  shook,  the  mountain  trembled,  the 
Israelites  were  awe-struck,  and  he  alone  who  was  called  "  faith- 
ful in  all  God's  house,"  was  calm  and  intent  on  the  issue  of  his 
mission.  He  led  forth  the  people  to  meet  their  God,  and  in 
silent  expectation  they  stood  at  the  foot  of  Sinai.  Soon  a  voice 
resounded,  a  voice  unlike  that  of  a  mortal,  it  penetrated  to  every 
ear,  it  struck  to  every  heart,  it  moved  every  spirit.  All  the 
people  heard,  remember  this,  that  more  than  two  millions  of 
human  beings  heard  at  the  same  moment  in  an  audible  manner 
the  self  same  voice ;  there  was  consequently  no  room  for  doubt 
or  uncertainty,  for  all  was  made  manifest,  perceptible  and 
clear;  and  the  voice  which  then  spoke  still  re-echoes  again  and 
again  to  this  very  day.  Truths,  never  before  so  comprehen- 
sively given,  were  surrendered  so  to  say  from  the  treasury  of 
Heaven  to  the  custody  of  the  Israelites,  and  well  was  the  cus- 
todian chosen.  What  revolutions  have  passed  over  our  heads ! 
how  much  misery  has  fallen  to  our  lot !  what  persecutions  had 
we  to  endure  !  but  still  the  covenant  is  ours,  its  words  are  dear 
to  our  hearts,  its  precepts  find  a  response  in  our  bosoms.  Do 
I  exaggerate  ?  where  is  the  Israelite,  who  deserves  the  name, 
but  is  willing  to  suffer  for  the  glorious  inheritance  which  is  his  ? 
where  is  the  son  of  Jacob,  who  is  so  in  truth,  but  calls  the  law 
of  God  his  greatest  treasure  ?  Men  may  call  us  enthusiasts  for 
saying  this  !  but  who  can  be  otherwise  than  an  enthusiast  when 
the  contemplation  of  the  great  blessing  of  our  religion  is  pre- 
sented to  his  mind  ?  It  is  more  than  our  native  land ;  it  is 
more  than  our  earthly  parents ;  it  is  the  bond  of  union  which 
unites  us  to  our  everlasting  home,  which  binds  the  humble 
creature  to  the  infinite  Creator !  to  the  overliving  Father  ! 

Now  mark,  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  house  of  Israel  who 
are  here  to-day  to  celebrate  this  great  event,  how  well  the 
prediction  has  been  fulfilled.  It  is  to-day  more  than  thirty-two 
hundred  years  ago  since  the  promulgation  of  the  law.  A 
hundred  generations  and  more  have  been  gathered  to  their 
fathers  since  the  fire  of  glory  blazed  on  Mount  Sinai.  There  is 
no  visible  trace  left  of  this  great  event  on  Horeb ;  no  monument 
to  mark  the  spot  where  Moses  stood ;  no  house  of  worship  is 
there  where  the  Israelites  could  adore ;  the  tables  of  the  co- 
venant are  no  longer  known  among  us ;  and  all  our  glory — all, — 


90  THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI. 

all  is  gone,  for  the  temple  too  which  our  fathers  thrice  upreared 
is  destroyed,  gone,  vanished.  And  Israel  ?  they  have  wandered 
through  deserts  and  mountains ;  crossed  the  wide  ocean,  been 
scattered  away  among  a  thousand  isles.  It  seemed  at  one  time 
as  though  death  were  their  only  guardian,  the  grave  their  only 
refuge  from  the  many  bitter,  scalding  calamities  which  seemed 
to  be  entailed  upon  them  for  their  sins.  As  I  said,  all,  all  is 
gone  ;  the  outward  glory  of  our  race  has  been  cast  down  to  the 
ground,  and  all  that  remains  is  the  Voice  which  we  heard  on 
this  day.  Amidst  all  our  sorrows  THIS  never  left  us,  it  was 
ever  near  us  in  all  our  wanderings,  it  always  cheered  our 
drooping  spirits  when  we  fainted  under  the  exhausting  influence 
of  our  own  apostacies  and  the  gentiles'  persecution.  Yes, 
brethren,  nations  mightier  and  more  numerous  than  we  ever 
were,  whose  memorials  are  written  in  splendid  ruins  and  me- 
morable remains  of  architecture,  of  sculpture  and  of  arts ;  who 
had  thousands  of  temples  for  our  one ;  whose  arms  and  prowess 
subjugated  many  and  powerful  nations,  have  passed  away,  as 
though  they  had  not  been,  and  of  some  their  very  names  have 
been  forgotten.  But  it  was  not  our  might,  our  numbers,  our 
conquests,  our  architecture,  our  sculpture,  our  arts  that  upheld 
us,  it  was  the  possession  of  the  heavenly  truth,  that  charac- 
terized us  always  from  other  men.  There  may  be  those  among 
us  who  value  it  not;  though  it  is  hardly  credible  that  any  son  of 
Jacob  can  be  so  forgetful  of  what  is  the  source  of  his  salvation. 
But  be  the  apostates  ever  so  many,  be  their  motives  fear,  interest, 
ambition,  or  unbelief:  of  this  we  are  assured,  that  the  law  will 
never  be  forgotten,  that  that  time  will  never  be,  when  the  mass 
of  our  people  will  cease  to  regard  Moses  as  the  prophet  of  God, 
and  to  believe  in  the  truth  of  his  mission ;  for  the  word  which 
has  endured  unscathed  so  many  vicissitudes  is  yet  endowed 
with  life,  and  exists  this  day  in  its  original  vigour  and  beauty. 

But  shall  it  be  said,  that  as  we  advance  in  civilization  and 
liberty,  we  are  becoming  indifferent  to  this  blessing  ?  shall  the 
reproach  be  cast  on  us,  that  we  cannot  be  entrusted  with  civil 
freedom  without  losing  our  character  as  Jews  ?  The  foul 
charge  has  been  made ;  and  they  who  wish  to  annihilate  our 
people,  have  at  times  counselled  to  place  us  on  an  equality,  in 
order  to  consume  us  by  a  gradual  admixture  with  foreign 


THE  REVELATION  ON  SINAI.  97 

nations.  They  aver,  that  equality  would  render  us  careless  of 
our  distinctive  character,  and  that  \ve  would  then  be  willing  to 
yield  to  flattery  what  no  force  could  ever  tear  from  us.  Let 
me  appeal  to  you,  friends  and  brothers !  to  contradict  such  an 
aspersion  by  your  conduct.  In  this  land  you  enjoy  the  largest 
personal  liberty,;  you  are  equal  with  other  citizens ;  no  one  can 
lay  any  hinderance  in  your  way  on  account  of  your  religion,  no 
one  can  molest  you  for  your  belief  in  one  God.  It  is  therefore 
lamentable  that  one  is  compelled  to  confess  that  we  do  but 
little  to  merit  the  continuance  of  so  much  happiness.  Alas! 
that  religion  should  be  so  much  neglected  ! — When  troubles 
thickened  upon  us,  we  could  call  on  our  God  for  enlargement ; 
and  now,  when  we  need  no  longer  fear  the  adversary's  sword, 
we  have  become  careless.  This  is  not  well,  brethren  !  it  is  time 
that  this  stain  should  be  wiped  from  our  name.  There  are 
signs  already  visible,  that  in  this  country  too  there  is  increasing 
a  thirst  after  the  word  of  the  Lord ;  that  persons  daily  become 
more  alive  to  the  necessity  of  drinking  the  waters  which  lead 
unto  salvation.  Let  us  hope  that  the  signs  may  not  be  falla- 
cious, and  that  daily  some  one  may  abjure  the  sinfulness  of  his 
ways,  and  become  a  sincere  follower  of,  no  less  than  a  believer 
in  the  truth  of  the  Decalogue.  It  is  the  province  of  each  of  you 
to  contribute  to  this  result  by  acting  rightly  yourselves,  and 
inducing  others  to  do  the  same.  Every  son  of  Israel  is  called 
upon  to  be  a  teacher  of  the  truth ;  every  daughter  of  Jacob 
should  spread  the  word.  But  above  all  it  is  the  bounden  duty 
of  parents  to  see  that  wholesome  religious  instruction  is  liberally 
and  daily  bestowed  on  their  offspring,  for  knowledge  like  this 
outweighs  far  the  acquisition  of  mere  worldly  sciences. — Let 
also  your  visits  to  the  house  of  God  be  constant,  lay  aside  your 
avocations  to  attend  divine  worship,  bring  your  children  with 
you,  let  them  see  that  you  are  in  earnest,  teach  them  by  precept 
and  example :  and  you  will  prove  to  the  world  that  we  can  hold 
fast  to  our  law,  whilst  we  join  our  brothers  of  other  opinions  in 
the  discharge  of  duties  as  citizens  of  one  common  country.  If 
thus  you  act,  then  will  every  returning  Pentecost  enjoyed  in 
this  land  of  liberty  be  indeed  a  day  of  thankfulness  unto  the 
Lord  for  the  blessing  of  freedom  now  vouchsafed  and  the  pos- 
VOL.  in. — 9 


98  RELIGIOUS  UNION. 

session  of  the  law  announced  amidst  terrific  signs  from  Sinai 
of  old. 

May  the  grace  of  God  the  Lord  be  with  us,  and  may  He 
strengthen  our  hearts  to  fear  Him  and  to  obey  his  command- 
ments, from  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 


?iva"3,d}5600. 
June  4th  \ 


DISCOURSE  IX. 

RELIGIOUS     UNION. 

O  LORD  of  all  flesh!  who  art  of  infinite  power  and  wisdom, 
hear  our  prayer  this  day,  and  plant  in  our  hearts  brotherly  love 
and  union ;  remove  from  our  midst  causeless  hatred  and  dissen- 
sion, and  grant  that  all  this  congregation  and  all  Israel  thy  peo- 
ple may  be  a  band  of  brothers,  united  in  faith,  united  in  love, 
made  one  by  charity.  Strengthen  the  superintendents  of  this 
house,  let  their  doings  be  guided  by  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and 
conciliation ;  multiply  the  worshippers  within  these  walls  dedi- 
cated to  thy  service,  and  frustrate  the  devices  of  those  who  may 
now  or  hereafter  endeavour  to  sow  dissension  where  there 
should  reign  love,  union,  and  harmony.  Do  grant,  O  our 
Father !  that  thy  holy  name  may  be  glorified  through  our  teach- 
ing and  our  humble  striving ;  and  pour  out  thy  liberal  spirit  over 
us  all,  that  we  may  truly  know  how  to  worship,  how  to  reve- 
rence, how  to  follow  Thee  in  thy  deeds  of  mercy.  May  this  be 
thy  will.  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

In  all  human  labours,  be  they  works  of  a  spiritual  or  temporal 
nature,  we  will  speedily  discover,  that  by  our  own  unassisted 


RELIGIOUS  UNION.  99 

striving,  we  are  able  to  accomplish  but  little  indeed.  In  the 
smallest  effort  we  make,  in  the  smallest  implement  we  handle, 
we  are,  although  unconscious  perhaps,  indebted  to  the  united 
labours  of  many  sentient  beings  like  ourselves  acting  to  accom- 
plish a  given  purpose. — The  bread  we  eat,  is  this  the  product 
of  one  individual?  No  !  there  was  the  ploughman  to  open  the 
soil  by  the  labour  of  his  hardy  hands,  amidst  the  sweat  of  his 
brow ;  there  was  the  seedman,  who  scattered  the  seed  into  the 
furrows  which  had  been  drawn  over  the  yielding  soil;  there  was 
next  the  reaper,  who  under  the  glowing  rays  of  a  midday  sun 
cut  down  the  rich  blessings  of  the  Lord;  next  the  thrasher,  then 
the  winnower,  then  the  miller,  and  lastly  the  baker,  who  all  had 
to  unite  their  efforts  to  produce  this  simple  bread,  our  daily  food. 
Now  take  a  view  of  the  tools  which  these  various  labourers 
use !  They  are  the  products  of  the  mine,  the  forest  and  the 
forge.  Into  the  dark  bowels  of  the  earth,  guided  by  science  and 
skill,  the  laborious  miner  digs  his  way ;  unerring  tests  tell  him 
where  is  the  home  of  the  iron ;  the  ore  is  brought  up  to  the  light 
of  day,  whilst  yet  the  future  metal  is  encumbered  with  uncon- 
genial substances.  Another  equally  skilful,  and  even  more 
daring,  perchance  ventures  under  the  bed  of  the  sea  and  ex- 
tracts the  fossil  coal  with  which  they  smelt  the  iron.  Next  the 
swarthy  forgemen  pile  up  in  the  intensely  heated  furnace  the 
ore  and  the  fuel,  and  speedily  urged  by  the  blast  of  the  mighty 
bellows  the  liquefied  metal  flows  in  a  fiery  stream.  Now  behold 
the  rolling-mill  smoothing  a  bar  of  one  of  the  hardest  products 
in  nature,  as  if  it  were  flexible  as  the  dough  under  the  hands  of 
the  industrious  housewife.  Again  see  the  smith  at  his  forge,  his 
brawny  arm  wields  high  in  air  the  ponderous  hammer  and  soon 
the  ploughshare  is  presented  to  view.  The  forester  also  lends 
his  aid,  the  hundred-armed  oak  totters,  falls ;  the  artisan  shapes 
the  plough;  and  the  farmer  harnesses  to  it  the  laborious  ox  or  the 
sinewy  plough-horse,  and  rejoicingly  he  commences  his  task  of 
tilling  the  earth.  The  builder  also  is  needed  !  By  the  margin 
of  some  rapid  brook  with  busy  skill  the  foundation  is  laid ;  stone 
after  stone  is  carried  to  the  spot,  beam  after  beam  is  placed  in 
its  resting  place ;  the  masons  ply  their  trowels,  and  the  carpen- 
ters their  tools,  and  the  mill  stands  finished  before  you.  The 
millwright's  services  are  now  needed ;  the  machinery  is  duly  dis- 


100  RELIGIOUS  UNION. 

posed,  the  race  is  properly  arranged,  and  the  wheel  is  fixed  in 
the  outer  wall ;  and  soon  the  wagons  laden  with  the  produce  of 
the  farmer's  industry  feed  the  voracity  of  the  mighty  engine 
which  so  many  skilful,  busy  hands  have  erected,  and  the  stun- 
ning din  tells  not  of  danger,  of  the  battle-alarm,  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  human  life,  but  of  the  production  of  the  most  nutritious 
food  provided  by  Providence  for  our  sustenance.  These  briefly 
are  some  of  the  labours  wrhich  many  have  to  undergo,  in  order 
to  supply  the  household  with  a  common  daily  necessary  of  life ; 
and  the  smallest  morsel  even  which  enters  in  your  consumption 
is  watered  by  the  sweat  of  hundreds,  labouring  to  accomplish 
one  particular  end. 

This  one  illustration  serves  for  all  other  employments ;  and 
we  may  say  in  truth,  that  man  when  alone  is  absolutely  help- 
less, and  more  unprovided  than  any  other  animal,  from  the 
largest  to  the  smallest,  since  each  of  these  can  obtain  its  food 
without  the  multiplicity  of  labours  which  falls  to  the  lot  of  man. 
But  were  the  farmer  to  sit  down  in  despair  and  say :  "  How 
shall  1  be  able  to  procure  iron  ore,  smelt  it,  forge  it  into  a 
ploughshare,  how  can  I  cut  down  the  tree  alone  and  make  my- 
self a  plough  ?  what  shall  I  do  ?  I  shall  never  be  able  to  till  my 
field;"  what  would  any  rational  man  tell  him?  surely,  that  he 
should  avail  himself  of  the  labour  of  others,  procure  the  plough 
which  he  can  find  ready  made  to  his  hands,  although  so 
many  preparatory  labours  were  necessary,  and  just  do  nothing 
more  than  that  part  of  the  work  which  is  allotted  to  him,  that  is 
the  mere  act  of  opening  the  soil,  which  he  is  amply  able  to  do 
by  the  assistance  of  the  beasts  of  burden  which  the  Creator  has 
assigned  for  the  service  of  man.  Any  one  would  therefore  be 
reckoned  unwise,  who  would  refuse  doing  any  thing,  because 
he  could  not  accomplish  every  thing ;  for  it  is  only  by  every 
man's  doing  his  share  for  the  general  good  that  the  welfare  of 
every  individual  is  best  promoted. 

But,  brethren,  the  same  holds  good  not  only  in  the  physical, 
but  also  in  the  moral  world.  Many  are  the  wants  of  the  mind! 
multifarious  are  the  duties  which  are  demanded  of  us!  and  yet 
they  must  all  be  satisfied,  if  we  wish  to  be  happy.  Look  at  the 
infant  when  scarce  it  essays  its  gift  of  speech ;  watch  its  painful 
efforts  at  utterance,  and  behold  over  it  bending  the  fond  mother 


RELIGIOUS  UNION.  101 

seconding  the  trials  at  articulate  sounds  which  her  offspring 
makes;  behold  her  joy  when  it  succeeds  in  imitating  the  words 
"My  father!  my  mother!"  and  think  you  not  that  a  great  labour 
has  been  accomplished  ?  that  a  trial  steadily  repeated  for  weeks, 
for  days,  for  hours  together  has  at  length  been  crowned  by  sig- 
nal success?  assuredly,  and  you  can  convince  yourself  of  this  at 
the  return  of  the  father  from  his  toil  to  his  now  happier  home, 
when  his  wife  makes  the  child  again  repeat  the  lesson  which  she 
has  been  teaching,  and  the  fond  kiss  impressed  upon  the  cheek 
yet  unclouded  by  sin  or  sorrow  tells  that  he  too  thinks  one  task 
has  been  happily  accomplished  ! 

Months  roll  on  and  the  little  prattler  has  received  from  his 
mother  all  the  instruction  she  can  give  him :  she  has  watched 
with  unremitting  care,  and  instilled  in  him  the  seeds  of  the  fear 
of  the  Lord,  she  has  taught  him  to  reverence  the  Holy  One,  who 
alone  is  Israel's  God ;  she  has  so  to  say  opened  the  mental  soil 
for  more  extended  fruitfulness ;  and  the  boy  is  dismissed  from 
the  parental  roof  to  the  halls  of  learning  to  receive  farther  in- 
struction in  knowledge  and  wisdom.  Daily  new  light  dawns 
upon  him,  hourly  some  new  fact  charms  his  mental  vision,  and 
every  instant  he  adds  to  his  stock  of  knowledge.  Does  he  weigh 
the  toil  of  the  teachers,  the  care  of  his  instructors  ?  Hardly ;  he 
drinks  from  the  fountain  which  to  him  seems  ever-flowing,  and 
he  barely  is  conscious  that  it  flows  wholesomely  only  through 
the  care  of  those  who  are  appointed  its  guardians,  and  who  in- 
struct him  how  he  is  to  distinguish  between  the  springs  of  life 
and  happiness,  and  those  which  are  charged  with  death  and  wo. 

The  school-years  at  length  are  ended,  and  the  youth  enters 
upon  the  broad  road  of  life,  mingling  with  the  crowd,  jostled  by 
the  competitors  who  with  him  run  to  reach  to  the  same  goal. 
He  now  gathers  knowledge  from  experience,  he  has  to  unlearn 
much  of  self-love,  much  of  what  inexperienced  vanity  had 
taught  him  to  think  of  himself;  he  sees  things  with  a  different 
eye,  he  feels  with  a  different  feeling,  he  hears  with  a  different 
ear,  and  the  sweets  and  the  bitters  of  manhood's  years  force 
upon  him  convictions  which,  if  properly  viewed  and  piously 
dwelt  upon,  will  make  his  declining  years  happy,  peaceful  and 
contented. 

Were  now  the  mother  to  give  up  her  endeavours  at  teaching 

9* 


102  RELIGIOUS  UNION. 

her  child  to  speak,  because  he  did  not  succeed  at  the  first  trial  ; 
\vere  a  teacher  to  dismiss  the  scholar  because  he  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  make  him  comprehend  his  lesson  \vhen  he  made  his  first 
attempt  ;  \vcre  the  man  to  become  alarmed  at  the  great  field  of 
knowledge  before  him,  at  the  immense  amount  of  learning  which 
he  must  leave  unexplored  though  he  should  live  ever  so  long  : 
how  could  the  most  eminent  of  men  ever  have  obtained  the 
smallest  part  of  knowledge  ?  since  it  is  only  the  constant  and 
persevering  labour  of  the  individual,  aided  by  the  advice,  the 
tuition,  and  the  care  of  others,  in  fact,  by  a  united  effort  of 
many  persons,  scattered  over  a  long  space  of  time,  directed  to 
accomplish  one  common  purpose,  .that  the  eminence  on  which 
he  stands  has  been  reached  ;  and  it  is  only  by  perseverance, 
union,  care  and  labour  that  he  can  hope  to  maintain  the  position 
he  has  once  attained. 

This  being  so,  it  may  be  well  to  inquire,  how  we  are  to  do 
in  moral  pursuits  ?  what  share  of  excellence  can  we  and  others 
justly  demand  of  ourselves  ?  To  enable  us  to  give  a  satisfac- 
tory answer  we  will  consider  the  following  advice  contained  in 
the  last  paragraph  of  the  second  chapter  of  the  Proverbs  of  the 
Fathers,  a  collection  of  moral  aphorisms  from  those  wise  men 
who  were  the  chief  teachers  of  our  religion  during  the  latter 
portion  of  the  second  temple  and  the  first  century  after  its  de- 
struction, a  class  of  men,  who  though  often  reviled  by  the  igno- 
rant and  the  enemies  of  our  faith  were  worthy  pillars  on  which 
the  structure  of  Israel's  religion  could  rest  with  safety,  trusty 
shepherds  who  guarded  well  the  flock  committed  to  their  care.— 
Among  other  matters  Rabbi  Tarfone  says  : 


p  nnN  vbi  -noA  ro^Son 

:  i"o  '3  maic     j 

"  It  is  not  incumbent  on  thee  to  finish  the  work,  nor  art  thou  at  liberty  to 
divest  thyself  entirely  of  its  performance." 

When  a  man  surveys  the  wide  field  of  the  duties  pointed  out  to 
him  by  the  law,  when  he  is  made  conscious  that  all  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  Bible  are  alike  the  word  and  will  of  God  :  he  is  but 
too  apt  to  become  faint-hearted  and  inquire,  "  How  can  I  do  all 
that  I  am  told  is  good  ?  I  am  poor,  and  I  cannot  give  charity  ; 


RELIGIOUS  UNION.  103 

I  am  ignorant,  I  cannot  teach ;  I  am  feeble,  I  cannot  attend  the 
house  of  God,  am  not  able  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  the 
sick  and  suffering ;  I  fear  there  is  no  salvation  for  me,  since  it 
is  said  in  the  Scriptures :  '  Cursed*  be  he  that  fulfilleth  not  the 
words  of  this  law  to  do  them.'  Will  the  Lord  have  mercy  on 
one  who  is  compelled  to  be  so  remiss  of  positive  duties  ?"  To 
one  so  conscientious  the  moralist  says :  "  It  is  not  incumbent  on 
thee  to  finish  the  work ;"  the  field  of  labour  is  in  truth  extended, 
it  spreads  over  all  the  actions  and  pursuits  of  life ;  but  thou  art 
not  the  only  labourer  in  the  service  of  thy  Maker.  If  it  pleased 
Him  not  to  endow  thee  \vith  wealth,  He  will  most  assuredly  not 
be  angry  with  thee,  if  thou  canst  not  gratify  the  wishes  of  thy 
heart  by  bestowing  liberal  gifts  upon  the  poor  that  are  with 
thee ;  if  thou  art  not  versed  in  his  holy  ways,  if  from  want  of 
opportunity  thou  hast  unfortunately  not  received  an  extensive 
knowledge  in  the  law  of  thy  God,  He  will  not  expect  of  thee  to 
go  abroad  as  a  teacher  of  the  word ;  if  thou  art  enfeebled  by 
age  or  sickness,  and  thy  feet  will  not  carry  thee  to  the  house 
of  prayer,  thou  wilt  not  be  punished  if  thou  stayest  at  home 
and  offerest  up  the  breathings  of  thy  heart  at  thy  own  fireside, 
if  thou  within  thy  own  walls  thinkest  over  the  wonders  which 
thy  eyes  behold,  which  thy  every  sense  makes  thee  conscious 
of;  if  thou  in  truth  art  disabled  to  administer  to  those  who 
need  thy  aid,  it  is  not  consonant  with  Mercy  to  punish  the  omis- 
sion which  proceeds  not  from  a  wilful  neglect.  In  short,  no  more 
than  thy  powers  suffice  for  will  be  expected,  and  no  want  of 
means  will  be  regarded  as  a  rebellion  in  the  service  of  Heaven ! 
His  servants  are  everywhere,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  his 
setting.  His  name  is  great  among  the  nations;  and  each  and  every 
man  has  received  some  capacity  by  which  he  can  demonstrate 
his  faithfulness.  The  law  contains  many  minute  duties  as  well 
as  great  actions ;  it  enjoins  the  saving  of  a  human  life,f  and 
the  dismissal  of  the  dam  when  the  nest  of  a  bird  is  found  ;J  it 
commands  the  restoration  of  freedom  to  the  bondman  in  the 
seventh  year§  and  the  Jubilee,||  and  the  fixing  of  a  scroll  on  our 

*  Deut.  xxvii.  26.  f  Levit.  xix.  16.  I  Deut.  xxii.  7. 

§  Exod.  xxii.  2,  and  Deut.  xv.  12.  ||  Levit.  xxv.  10,  41,  54. 


104  RELIGIOUS  UNION. 

door-posts*  and  the  wearing  of  fringes  on  the  borders  of  our 
garments,!  matters  as  \ve  see  of  difficult  execution  and  rare 
occurrence,  and  others  which  any  child  can  easily  and  daily 
observe.  This  proves  that  the  law  was  intended  to  be  the 
means  of  salvation ;  since  every  one  can  at  all  times,  whether 
exalted  or  low — whether  at  sea  or  on  land — whether  at  large 
or  in  prison — whether  rich  or  poor,  find  some  precept  which  he 
can  obey,  and  consequently  do  something  to  gain  the  favour  of 
his  Maker. 

But  now  some  one  may  say :  "  Since  there  are  so  many 
labourers  what  for  are  my  services  needed  ?  I  am  too  unim- 
portant, too  mean  in  the  scale  of  society  that  my  labours  should 
be  missed ;  I  will  sit  contented  in  slothful  idleness ;  I  will  not 
offend,  but  I  will  merely  let  others,  greater  than  myself,  do  their 
great  acts,  whilst  I  look  on  and  profit  by  their  examples."  To 
this  excuse  answers  Rabbi  Tarfone :  "  Thou  art  not  at  liberty 
to  divest  thyself  entirely  of  its  performance ;"  meaning,  that  we 
were  not  sent  hither  to  be  idle  spectators  upon  the  great  theatre 
of  life ;  action,  action,  is  the  word ;  sloth  does  not  find  favour 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Master  of  our  labour.  We  are  endowed  with 
hearing,  with  sight,  with  taste,  with  smell,  with  feeling  that  we 
might  enjoy  the  gifts  which  bountiful  nature  presents  at  every 
point ;  but  we  too  have  a  thinking  soul,  a  reasoning  mind,  which 
should  set  our  powers  in  motion  to  a  higher  aim  than  mere  per- 
sonal enjoyment  and  slothful  indolence.  Let  us  step  abroad, 
cast  our  eyes  over  the  wants  of  our  fellow-men,  and  is  there  no 
one  that  can  be  benefited  by  our  labours  ?  If  we  have  riches, 
is  there  no  one  who  needs  our  bounty?  if  we  have  health  is 
there  no  one  who  lies  stretched  on  a  helpless  bed  of  sickness  ? 
if  we  have  joy  is  there  no  one  who  needs  consolation  ?  if  we 
have  learning  is  there  no  one  whom  we  could  enlighten  ?  if  we 
have  religious  hope,  if  we  are  firm  in  faith,  is  there  no  one 
whom  our  appeals  could  reach,  who  might  be  warmed  by  the 
zeal  which  burns  within  us  ?  Say  you,  "  We  are  humble,  un- 
known beyond  the  bounds  of  our  houses ;  poor,  afflicted  and 
ground  down  by  oppression,  how  can  we  be  useful  ?"  Deceive 
not  yourselves ;  no  matter  how  humble  you  are,  despite  of  a 

*  Deut  vi.  9,  and  xi.  20.  f  Numb.  xv.  38,  and  Deut.  xxii.  12. 


RELIGIOUS  UNION.  105 

thousand  sufferings,  there  must  be  something  which  you  can 
accomplish — some  trifle  which  the  great  have  left  unfinished. 
When  the  master-builder  plans  the  house  does  he  assign  equal 
tasks  to  all  his  men?  on  the  contrary,  while  the  mason  with  almost 
miraculous  skill  builds  an  arch  which  may  stand  for  ages,  the 
humble  attendant  furnishes  him  with  mortar  and  stone ;  while 
the  carpenter  fashions  the  beam  and  fits  the  joiner's  work,  the 
material  is  brought  to  him  by  persons  unacquainted  with  his 
art.  How  long  and  often  would  it  withdraw  the  mason  and  the 
carpenter  from  their  work,  were  they  to  go  out  each  time  to 
fetch  the  things  they  need;  the  attendance  of  the  mere  labourers 
abridges  their  toil  and  brings  the  undertaking  to  a  much  speedier 
conclusion  than  it  could  otherwise  be.  Just  so  it  is  with,  our 
religious  structure.  Our  Master  is  the  omnipotent  Architect ; 
the  building  is  the  improvement  of  mankind,  for  this  is  the  aim 
of  all  religion,  whether  we  ourselves  or  others  are  the  objects 
of  its  operation  ;  the  labourers  are  we  all,  the  sons  of  man  ;  and 
only  by  a  concerted  effort  can  the  building  be  constructed,  till  it 
show  a  beautiful  front  and  a  high  elevation  in  the  presence  of 
the  Creator.  There  must  be  none  weary,  none  slothful,  none 
an  idle  spectator ;  but  whilst  the  master-minds  are  busy  in 
executing  the  great  designs  for  which  they  were  fitted,  let  the 
humbler  in  capacity  encourage  them  during  their  toil,  and  en- 
deavour by  all  means  to  make  their  task  pleasant,  their  labours 
more  easy.  But  O,  let  no  one  say:  "  I  cannot  work  ;"  for  no 
matter  how  little  one  contributes,  let  that  little  be  done ;  and 
many  a  one  is  endowed  with  a  strength  of  which  he  himself  is 
not  conscious ;  many  an  intellectual  Gideon  there  is  who  when 
spoken  to  by  an  inward  feeling,  by  outward  circumstances 
which  demand  his  action,  with :  "  The  Lord  is  with  thee,  thou 
mighty  one  of  valour,"  will  answer:  "Oh  my  Lord!  where- 
with shall  I  save  Israel?  behold  my  family  is  the  poorest  in 
Manasseh,  and  1  am  the  least  in  my  father's  house."  (Judg.  vi. 
12,  15.)  Well  is  such  humility  becoming;  it  were  wrong  to 
have  an  undue  confidence  in  our  own  powers ;  modesty  is  always 
the  true  garb  of  distinguished  merit,  as  we  read  in  our  section 
of  to-day :  "  And  the  man  Moses  was  very  meek  above  all  the 
men  who  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth."*  But,  humility 
*  Number?,  xii.  3. 


106  RELIGIOUS  UNION. 

nevertheless  is  no  excuse  for  idleness.  When  Gideon  had  been 
awakened  to  his  own  strength,  he  overcame  the  enemy  who 
sorely  afflicted  his  people.  Just  so  it  is  with  the  mind;  when 
the  spirit  is  once  aroused  it  may  achieve  wonders  !  Abraham 
lived  in  his  father's  house,  worshipping  in  humility;  he  was 
called  forward,  and  became  the  light  of  the  world !  Moses  and 
David  were  shepherds,  one  became  the  great  prophet  whom 
all  future  ages  will  ever  bless,  the  other  was  afterwards  the 
mightiest  king  of  Israel,  and  what  is  more,  the  outpourings  of 
his  soul  excite  now  and  will  excite  for  ever  the  sweetest  thoughts 
of  devotion,  the  noblest  conceptions  in  the  great  Creator's  praise. 
Do  you  wish  for  more  examples  ?  Go  and  search  in  the  pages 
of  history,  and  see  who  were  the  true  benefactors  of  their 
species;  they  were  but  rarely  those  born  in  the  purple,  but 
seldom  those  who  inherited  immense  wealth ;  but  mostly  the 
children  of  humble  parents,  they  who  slowly  and  laboriously 
had  to  climb  the  ladder  which  leads  upwards.  Every  thing 
requires  a  beginning,  the  wizard's  lamp  which  calls  up  houses 
at  the  moment  they  are  wanted  is  no  more  a  fiction,  than  the 
idea  that  great  results  can  ever  be  looked  for  if  action  is  not 
attempted.  Only  let  every  one  throw  into  the  common  stock 
whatever  he  is  capable  of,  and  as  there  is  a  Rewarder  of  virtue, 
an  over-ruling  Providence,  much  good  will  result. — But  let  no 
one  be  so  presumptuous  as  to  suppose  that  his  assistance  is  so 
greatly  needed,  that  the  work  must  stop,  if  he  is  taken,  or  if  he 
does  not  lend  his  assistance. — For  the  time  never  yet  was,  and 
never  will  be,  when  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  was  so  destitute 
of  labourers,  that  for  the  want  of  one  the  work  had  to  cease; 
if  one  is  removed,  a  hundred  will  spring  up ;  if  one  withdraws, 
many  will  press  forward  to  snatch  up  the  tools  which  the  slug- 
gard has  thrown  down. — Moreover  it  is  not  they,  who  are  over- 
weening or  who  are  ostentatious,  who  either  can  teach,  or  whose 
charity  will  be  acceptable;  but  it  is  at  the  last  those  whose 
wisdom  wears  the  garb  of  modesty  and  whose  charity  is  hidden 
by  the  love  for  the  welfare  of  and  a  regard  for  the  feelings  of 
their  fellow-men  who  can  be  truly  acceptable.  And  thus  speaks 
an  Israelite*  of  our  own  days,  of  his  own  labours  which  have 

*  Samson  Raphael  Hirsch,  Grand  Rabbi  of  Oldenburg  in  Germany. 


RELIGIOUS  UNION.  107 

won  him  a  name  among  the  children  of  his  people :  "  I  am  still 
far  removed  from  the  thought,  as  though  these  attempts  (the 
name  he  gives  his  book  relative  to  the  duties  of  Israelites,)  as 
though  any  work  from  my  hand  would  fill  up  the  gap ;  for  I 
know  too  well  the  entire  magnitude  of  the  subject,  too  well  my 
own  limited  powers.  Upon  the  whole,  he  must  be  a  fool  who 
believes,  that  it  is  given  to  him,  alone,  to  stand  in  the  breach, 
the  healing  of  which  is  in  the  hands  of  God.  But  he  too  is  a 
fool,  nay,  more  than  fool,  who,  because  he  cannot  accomplish 
nil,  attempts  nothing  whatever,  and  because  he  is  not  rich  in 
every  thing,  endeavours  not  to  lay  the  smallest,  poorest  gift 
upon  the  altar  of  his  people. — Only  attempts  I  venture  to  offer, 
nothing  that  is  complete  ; — happy  if  here  and  there  one  thought 
does  not  seem  unworthy  to  one  more  richly  endowed,  to  follow 
it  up,  and  there  lay  his  hand  on  the  work  where  my  strength 
failed  me  ; — happy  if  my  book  should  become  the  inducement 
to  one  of  the  noble  sons  and  daughters  of  my  people  to  seek 
refuge  from  the  floods  of  the  times  with  the  only  One  Firm 
amidst  all  the  fleeting,  to  God  and  his  word ; — happy,  if  that 
which  is  erroneous  and  false  in  my  attempts  may  be  recognized 
as  such,  that  it  may  not  be  the  means  to  add  to  the  sum  of 
error  and  falsehood  ;  but  also  if  they  contain  any  part  of  truth 
and  purity,  which  He  in  whose  hands  rest  the  holiest  destinies 
of  Israel,  may  not  despise  to  let  it  become  ever  so  small  a  con- 
tribution to  a  brighter  building  of  life  of  the  most  holy  thing  in 
Israel ; — to  have  carried  but  one  stone  to  the  great  structure, 
to  have  poured  but  one  drop  of  oil  into  the  lamp  of  the  sanc- 
tuary— who  would  not  find  too  rich  a  reward  in  this  ?" 

Thus  speaks  one  who  has  received  a  high  endowment,  who 
has  been  raised  to  preside  over  the  congregations  of  the  Lord 
in  an  extensive  district  in  Germany ;  and  it  is  the  right  feeling 
with  which  we  should  do  our  duties  whatever  they  may  be, 
whether  the  contribution  be  a  book,  a  deed  of  charity,  or  an 
act  of  personal  piety.  It  matters  not  which,  every  act  adds  to 
the  common  stock  of  righteousness,  to  the  empire  of  holiness  in 
Israel ;  virtue  is  a  plant  which  grows  best  when  many  watch 
and  labour  for  its  progress ;  let  all  therefore  who  now  hear  me 
resolve  to  make  it  their  study  to  promote  the  spread  of  righteous- 
ness, to  do  all  which  they  are  able  to  perform  themselves,  and 


10S  RELIGIOUS  UiNICLN. 

to  induce  others  to  join  them.  Let  the  son  follow  the  father, 
and  if  need  be  let  the  father  even  learn  from  the  son  ;  let  the 
wife  lead  her  husband,  if  he  should  become  neglectful  of  his 
duty  ;  let  the  brother  exhort  the  sister  to  persevere  in  the  road 
to  grace  and  piety;  in  short,  let  every  Israelite  be  a  teacher, 
an  active  labourer  in  the  harvest  of  the  Lord.  Do  you  believe 
the  reward  will  be  \vanting  ?  No,  brethren  !  our  Master  is 
powerful  beyond  measure,  rich  beyond  compare,  bountiful  be- 
yond our  wants ;  and  no  matter  how  great  the  number  of 
those  who  enter  his  employ,  there  is  happiness  in  store  for  all. 
Come  then  one,  come  all,  bend  your  shoulders  to  the  burden, 
lend  your  hand  to  the  service,  and  see  whether  God  will  not 
bless  you  !  Only  be  firm,  be  united,  let  not  dissension  chill  the 
ardour,  check  the  concord  which  is  so  necessary  ;  and  remem- 
ber that  in  religion  as  well  as  in  life,  "  United  we  stand,  divided 
we  fall !"  We  have  stood  for  many  ages,  though  little  difficulties 
have  frequently  disturbed  our  harmony :  it  were  time  now  that 
we  should  forget  them  ;  but  let  us  as  loving  brothers  in  one  Fa- 
ther's house,  unshaken  like  soldiers  prepared  for  the  holy  war- 
fare, united  as  labourers  on  the  holiest  structure  of  Israel,  stand 
shoulder  to  shoulder  and  foot  to  foot,  ready  for  the  work,  but 
also  with  the  shield  before  us  and  with  the  brand  by  our  side, — 
or  in  other  words,  let  us  be  ever  united  by  charity,  by  unison, 
by  virtue,  by  benevolence,  and  let  us  be  armed  with  a  know- 
ledge of  the  word  of  the  Lord, — that  we  may  with  the  blessing 
of  God  be  ever  prepared  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  those  who 
love  not  the  name  of  Israel !  Only  let  us  be  firm,  and  of  good 
courage,  and  we  cannot  fail,  for  the  Lord  is  with  us,  as  He 
ever  was  with  our  fathers ! 

Father !  shield  us  with  the  shadow  of  thy  wings,  and  grant  us 
peace,  now  and  for  ever.     Amen. 

Sivan  20th 
June  19th 


109 


DISCOURSE  X. 

THE    SORROWS    OF    ISRAEL. 

0  LORD  !  Thou  who  judgest  in  righteousness  and  mercy,  do 
not  visit  our  iniquities  in  wrath  and  indignation ;  but  according 
to  thy  loving-kindness  deal  tenderly  and  forgivingly  with  our 
sins,  because  we  are  flesh,  frail,  and  prone  to  sin.  Do  regard 
us  with  compassion,  when  thou  reviewest  our  deeds  ;  and  shed 
over  the  remnant  of  Jacob  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  ; 
and  whenever  the  sword  of  persecution  is  raised  above  our 
helpless  heads,  stay  Thou  in  thy  mercy  the  descending  blow, 
and  disarm  the  uplifted  hand  of  our  vengeful  opponents.  Let 
not  the  adversary  prevail  over  the  weak  remainder  that  has 
escaped,  lest  they,  who  honour  not  thy  name  as  do  thy  people 
Israel,  say  in  their  presumption  and  the  pride  superinduced  by 
the  smiles  of  success  and  impunity,  that  we  are  forsaken  of  thy 
protection,  and  cast  out  from  thy  bounty.  O!  do  speedily  open 
the  prisons  of  the  captives,  and  let  those  go  free,  who  have  no 
protector  save  Thee  alone,  our  Father,  who  art  the  Guardian 
of  Israel !  and  fill  the  hearts  of  those  who  now  oppress  thy 
people  with  compassion,  that  they  may  deal  beneficently  towards 
all  our  brethren  of  the  house  of  Jacob  thy  servants.  Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 

Erst  on  Moriah's  mount  the  temple  stood,  when  on  Zion  and 
in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  rolled  the  mighty  mass  of  men  who 
thronged  the  highways  to  the  sacred  city  where  dwelt  the  glory 
of  God.  Thousands  pressed  on  thousands  to  prostrate  them- 
selves at  the  sacred  threshold,  to  behold  as  it  were  the  more 
immediate  presence  of  their  God.  Glad  was  the  shout  which 
responded  to  the  priest's  blessing,  sweet  was  the  acclaim  which 
told  that  the  Only  One  was  the  acknowledged  Head  of  the 
people  that  dwelt  within  thy  gates,  O  Zion ! — But  hushed  is 

VOL.  in. — 10 


HO  THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL. 

now  the  tumult,  the  temple's  splendid  halls  are  levelled  to  the 
dust ;  in  Jerusalem,  on  Zion,  on  Moriah,  their  rightful  pos- 
sessors are  strangers,  aliens,  oppressed,  outcasts,  slaves  !  and  a 
foolish  people,  a  nation  that  hath  no  wisdom,  reveis  in  its  in- 
vented rites  on  the  spot  where  once  was  the  glory  of  Israel ; 
yes,  the  very  spot,  where  the  temple  formerly  burst  upon  the 
astonished,  delighted  gaze  of  the  pilgrim,  no  Israelite  can  now 
approach  unless  at  the  peril  of  his  life ;  and  in  place  of  the  reve- 
rence and  adoration  of  the  Lord  according  to  the  laws  of 
Moses,  the  Muezzin  of  a  newly-invented  religion  call  to  prayer, 
in  the  name,  it  is  true  of  the  One  God,  but  associated  with  the 
belief  in  a  prophet  whom  He  did  not  send,  and  out  of  whose 
mouth  He  has  not  spoken. — Go  abroad  over  the  hills  and  val- 
leys of  Palestine,  formerly  the  land  of  wheat  and  barley,  the 
fig,  the  vine,  the  promegranate,  the  olive  and  date-palm ;  where 
from  every  eminence  refreshing  springs  bubbled  forth ;  where 
on  every  side  were  fertile  valleys,  vine-clad  summits,  populous 
towns ;  where  on  every  meadow  the  cattle  grazed  in  undis- 
turbed security ;  where  at  eventide  in  all  its  boundaries  the 
shepherd  might  be  seen  leading  back  his  thriving  flock,  in 
desert,  on  plain,  and  mountain,  by  running  brook,  or  purling 
spring  ; — go  there  where  once  the  beloved  nation  dwelt  under 
the  guidance  of  their  Legislator's  code,  under  the  shadow  of 
his  rule :  and  you  will  wonder  over  the  desolation  you  will 
everywhere  behold. — The  towns  ?  they  are  swept  from  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  of  many  famous  for  deeds  of  bravery,  for 
schools,  for  nurseries  of  piety,  not  a  stone  is  left  to  mark  the  spot 
where  once  they  stood ;  and  the  others  yet  existing  have  lost 
their  splendour,  and  squalid  wretchedness  and  indolent,  unlabour- 
ing  beggary  is  the  lot  of  their  sparse  inhabitants.  The  olive 
groves  in  many  places  are  cut  down,  and  though  in  several 
parts  the  fertility  and  extraordinary  products  of  the  land  are 
not  entirely  gone :  still  in  many  others  the  earth-  itself  seems  to 
have  changed  its  nature,  the  water  springs  are  drying  up,  and 
the  means  of  fertilizing  the  soil,  which  formerly  existed,  are 
falling  into  decay  and  disuse  under  the  iron  sway  of  the  present 
inheritors  of  our  once  blessed  patrimony.  Where  formerly  the 
shepherd  fed  his  flock,  and  the  herdsman  stood  listlessly  near  *- 
the  lowing  ox  or  the  grazing  cow,  the  robber  now  lies  in  wait^ 


. 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  m 

f 

behind  the  bare  crag  of  some  overhanging  rock  to  despoil  the 
unarmed  traveller  of  his  envied  possessions.  And  wherever  the 
few  scanty  remains  of  Israel  dwell,  they  are  subject  to  the 
arbitrary  rule,  the  outrageous  exactions,  the  cruel  treatment  of 
some  covetous  Arab,  or  a  bloodthirsty  satrap  of  the  Turkish 
emperor.  There  is  no  festive  throng  in  Palestine  ;  there  is  no 
joy  at  the  return  of  the  holy  seasons ;  there  is  no  security  for 
life  or  limb  ;  but  under  the  dear-bought  protection  of  the  stranger 
the  sons  of  Jacob  revisit  their  own  long-loved  land  ;  and  amidst 
trembling  and  fear  they  worship  where  their  forefathers  wor- 
shipped ;  and  in  the  home  of  the  free,  the  land  of  the  brave 
they  dwell  subject  at  every  hour  to  be  plundered  without  resist- 
ance, to  be  incarcerated  without  appeal,  to  be  tortured  and 
slain  with  scarcely  any  one  willing  or  able  to  stay  the  execu- 
tioner's hand. 

For  centuries  this  has  been  the  fate  of  our  people  and  of 
our  inheritance ;  and  wide-spread  sorrow  has  been  the  lot  of  one, 
and  almost  utter  desolation  that  of  the  other.  How  many  times 
did  the  wheel  of  sorrow  pass  over  us !  how  often  has  been 
unsheathed  the  sword  to  wound  and  to  slay !  how  many  pre- 
cious spirits  were  sent  to  an  untimely  grave,  only  because  they 
were  sons  of  a  hated  race.  And  it  mattered  little  who  it  was 
that  bore  rule,  whether  the  cunning  Grecian,  the  proud  Roman 
polytheist,  the  fire-worshipping  Persian,  the  light  Arab,  the 
warlike  Seljuk,  or  knightly  Englishman,  or  the  pilgrim  Gaul ; — 
all  alike  have  hated,  spurned,  and  slaughtered  myriads  of  our 
unoffending  brothers !  hated  them  without  cause ;  spurned  them 
because  of  their  belief;  and  slaughtered  them  for  the  sake  of 
crimes  which  they  were  not  guilty  of,  and  for  the  shedding  of 
blood  which  their  soul  abhorred  !  It  would  be  a  heartrending 
task  to  recount  one  thousandth  part  of  all  the  evils  which  we 
had  to  bear  in  Palestine  no  less  than  elsewhere  since  our  cap- 
tivity commenced ;  but  so  full  is  the  history  of  nearly  every 
nation  with  the  cruelties  inflicted  on  us,  so  stained  with  innocent 
blood  are  the  hands  of  many  communities :  that  they  who  note 
down  passing  events  have  scarcely  thought  it  worth  while  to 
mention  the  particulars,  or  to  tell  us  the  number  of  the  victims 
slain  to  glut  the  demon  of  persecution.  In  short,  many  have 
always,  as  it  were,  consumed  us ;  and  treachery  and  art,  per- 


112  TIIE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL. 

suasion  and  force,  bribes  and  the  sword  have  all  been  employed 
to  diminish  the  number  of  those  who  follow  the  law  of  the  God 
of  Abraham. 

And  do  you  believe  that  these  persecutions  are  events  of  long 
by-gone  years,  to  be  sought  for  in  musty  records  of  history  ? 
Alas !  no ;  there  has  not  been  a  single  age,  perhaps  not  a  single 
year  since  our  dispersion,  which  has  not  witnessed  atrocities 
of  this  nature,  which  has  not  told  of  Israel's  degradation  and 
sorrow.  Even  at  this  very  day,  in  an  age  which  calls  itself 
enlightened,  when  learning  is  achieving  wonderful  triumphs, 
when  science  is  laying  daily  open  the  hidden  things  of  nature 
and  organization,  when  one  might  have  hoped  that  the  mind  of 
man  would  have  become  less  savage  and  more  active  to  the 
calls  of  humanity :  we  have  an  exemplification  of  the  same 
dark  deeds  which  well  befitted  the  iron  age  when  men  incased 
in  steel,  and  covered  with  armour  of  proof,  fought  for  sport 
with  sharpened  spears  and  uplifted  swords  till  one  of  the  com- 
batants lay  dead  in  the  lists ;  and  when  fired  by  the  spirit  of 
fanaticism  and  the  love  of  adventure,  tens  of  thousands  forsook 
their  northren  shores  to  contend  with  the  dusky  sons  of  the  East 
for  the  possession  of  a  fancied  treasure  which  they  imagined  to 
exist  in  Palestine.  Then  indeed,  when  the  priests  alone  could 
read  and  write,  when  the  man  of  war,  with  a  sword  and  steed, 
was  more  valued  than  the  peaceful  farmer  or  the  skilful  artisan  : 
it  was  to  be  expected  that  men  engaged  in  perilous  warfare, 
incited  by  blind  zeal,  could,  horrible  though  it  may  be,  so  far 
forget  the  law  of  love  as  to  chant  praises  in  the  midst  of 
streams  of  blood  which  defiled  the  streets  of  Jerusalem ;  whilst 
thousands  of  victims  of  a  murderous  assault  and  an  indiscrimi- 
nate slaughter  lay  yet  unburied  within  the  precincts  of  the  city 
of  David.  But  this  state  of  things  has  passed  away ;  the  lust 
for  and  practice  of  war  have  in  a  measure  had  to  yield  to  the 
arts  of  peace ;  it  was  to  be  hoped,  that,  after  the  sword  had  in 
a  few  late  years  drunk  the  gore  of  millions,  a  spirit  of  calm 
inquiry  would  have  stopped  up  the  entrance  of  unreason  and 
falsehood  ;  but  unfortunately  this  has  not  been  the  case,  and  to 
this  very  day  zealots  and  fanatics  do  not  pretermit  their  efforts 
at  extinguishing  the  lamp  of  Israel ;  and  not  content  with  at- 
tempts at  our  opinions,  they  have  again  within  late  commenced 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  113 

the  system  of  false  accusation,  in  order  to  surrender  our  heads 
once  more  to  the  executioner,  that  the  earth  might  again  drink 
the  life-blood  of  the  best  of  Jacob's  sons.  The  same  fables,  the 
falsity  of  which  has  been  often  proved,  the  absurdity  of  which 
is  too  apparent  to  deserve  a  serious  refutation,  have  been  again 
revived,  and  it  has  been  said  that  we  need  the  blood  of  gentile- 
victims  to  celebrate  our  sacred  festivals.  The  mussulman  and 
the  papist  have  joined  hands  to  fasten  this  foul  charge  upon  our 
brothers  of  the  East ;  and  many  have  been  dragged  to  prison, 
subjected  to  torture  and  every  species  of  cruelty,  nay  some  are 
said  to  have  expired  under  the  inflictions  of  their  fiendish  per- 
secutors. Ay,  these  victims  have  cried  for  help  !  but  who 
stood  forth  to  aid  them  ?  they  appealed  to  their  religion  which 
forbids  murder,  but  they  spoke  to  men  who  feel  not  pity  for  the 
outcasts  of  Israel ;  the  voice  of  Europe  and  of  this  land,  which  is 
lifted  up  loud  enough  when  other  cases  of  suffering  and  outrage 
are  presented,  has  barely  been  raised ;  nay  the  presumed  author 
of  this  great  wrong  is  not  called  on  to  answer  for  the  evil  he 
has  done.  O  God  !  has  it  come  to  this — is  it  thy  will  that  we 
are  never  to  know  rest  ?  that  we  are  always  to  be  the  mark  for 
malice  and  wrong  ?  But  thy  will  be  done  ;  even  as  Thou  de- 
creest,  O  our  Father !  be  it  our  aim  to  learn  submission ;  only 
keep  alive  thy  spirit,  the  love  of  thy  law  within  us ;  that  thy 
judgments  may  tend  to  purify  our  souls,  to  exalt  our  hearts  to 
Thee,  our  King  and  Saviour ! 

Indeed,  brethren,  it  does  seem  that  the  curse  denounced 
against  us  for  our  manifold  misdeeds  is  yet  active  as  ever  it  was, 
that  the  infraction  of  the  covenant  of  God  with  our  forefathers 
demands  to  this  day  the  punishment  of  the  rebellious  race. 
For  what  does  Moses  say  in  Leviticus  (xxvi.  38)  1  "  And  ye 
shall  perish  among  the  nations,  and  the  land  of  your  enemies 
shall  eat  you  up."  Yes,  this  has  been  fulfilled  literally,  with  the 
sole  limitation,  that  the  perishing  and  the  eating  up  have  not 
been  entire,  for  punishment  was  threatened,  not  extermination. 
The  inspired  seer  stood  on  the  top  of  Horeb,  that  cradle  of  our 
national  existence ;  he  was  permitted  to  survey  virtue  and  its 
reward,  sin  and  its  direful  visitation.  To  his  prophetic  view 
the  future  lay  opened,  and  he  saw  how  the  evil  might  be  averted 
by  a  steady  adherence  to  the  law  of  God ;  but  he  also  beheld 

10* 


114  THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL 

the  empire  of  truth  invaded  by  the  armies  which  the  inclination 
to  evil  is  capable  of  raising  against  the  spread  of  righteousness 
on  earth.     Moses  therefore   begged  and  entreated  his  brother 
Israelites  never  to  lose  sight  of  their  Lord  and  Redeemer,  never 
to  forget  that  He  is  ready  to  reward  and  able  to  punish.     He 
warned  them  that  by  the  observance  of  the  covenant  alone  could 
they  have  peace ;  but  that  war  and  the  pestilence,  accompanied 
by  their  handmaids  famine  and  sickness,  should  desolate  their 
heritage  for  their  refusal  to  obey.     And  he  said  in  continuation, 
that  our  residence  among  the  gentiles  should  constantly  diminish 
our  numbers,  and  that  so  to  say  our  increase  should  be  eaten 
up  by  the  land  of  our  enemies.     Has  the  force  of  this  curse 
ever  struck  you  ?  if  not,  reflect  for  one  moment  how  truly  it 
has   been  accomplished.     Compare  our  present  number  with 
what  it  might  have  become  had  we  been  left  undisturbed  since 
our  second  expulsion  from  Palestine,  had  not  so  many  hundreds 
of  thousands  been  doomed  to  the  sword,  had  not  so  many  more 
been  mingled  up  either  by  force  or  voluntarily  with  the  nations 
of  the  earth  :  how  large  would  at  this  day  have  been  the  rem- 
nant of  Israel ;  every  land  would  have  been  full  of  us,  every 
part  of  the  earth  would  have  felt  our  power.     This  would  have 
been,  had  we  reflected  on  our  conduct,  and  returned  to  the  Lord 
in  the  lands  of  our  enemies  with  all  our  heart,  when  He  would 
have  opened  our  bonds  and  given  us  enlargement.     But  we 
always  sought  our  interest  more  than  the  salvation  of  our  God ; 
even  in  times  of  danger  the  spirit  of  gain  swayed  our  souls, 
and  we  endeavoured  to  fortify  ourselves  against  the  attacks  of 
an  unfriendly  world  by  the  possession  of  wealth.     It  appeared 
as  though  we  wanted  to  make  riches  the  bulwark  against  pre- 
judice, and  to  rely  upon  the  effects  to  be  derived  from  the 
gifts  of  God  more  than  upon  God  himself.     Such  folly  therefore 
met  its  due  visitation,  our  wealth  was  made  the  means  of  our 
destruction ;  the  cupidity  of  our  enemies  became  excited,  and 
the  apparent  wretchedness  of  the  Jews  did  not  conceal  from 
their  keen-sighted  persecutors  the  immense  hoards  of  worldly 
goods  they  had  heaped  up;  and  the  destruction  of  so  many 
homesteads,  the  expulsion  of  our  people  from  so  many  lands 
only  too  well  evidenced,  that  our  hopes  had  been  built  upon  a 
shallow  foundation. — And  when  in  other  places  and  other  times 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  H5 

we  mixed  too  carelessly  with,  the  gentiles,  when  we  began 
perhaps  to  forget  that  we  were  sojourners  far  from  our  own 
land,  the  blessed  hills  of  Judcea :  again  the  decree  of  sorrow 
went  forth,  and  catholic  Spain  and  her  sister  Portugal  dipped 
their  arms  deep,  deep  into  rivers  of  blood  shed  by  the  merciless 
judges  of  Judah's  fallen  daughter.  It  was  long  indeed  since  peace 
had  shed  her  smile  on  our  path;  we  were  driven  from  one 
country  to  the  other,  and  scarcely  any  one  land  was  willing  to 
receive  into  its  bosom  the  loathed  descendants  of  the  friends  of  the 
Lord ;  and  where  we  were  permitted  to  rest  awhile,  the  badge 
of  degradation  was  fixed  on  our  garments,  we  were  penned  up 
in  particular  streets,  denied  the  privilege  of  following  the  paths 
of  industry  best  suited  to  our  capacities  and  tastes,  and  con- 
demned to  resort  to  traffic  alone  and  menial  employments  to 
supply  bread  for  our  wives  and  little  ones.  Even  the  right  to 
marry  was  in  many  places  refused  except  under  cruel  re- 
strictions and  onerous  exactions,  and  this  is  still  continued  in 
several  parts  of  Europe  to  this  very  day. — -For  those  only  who 
outwardly  forswore  their  hopes  in  Israel's  salvation  there  was 
opened  the  race  to  preferment  and  distinction ;  and  thus,  what 
with  the  dread  of  death  by  the  executioner's  hands,  and  honours 
and  ease  on  the  other  side,  many  were  lost  among  the  gentiles, 
though  we  may  also  boast  of  a  greater  number  who  embraced 
death  as  their  deliverer  sooner  than  forego  the  favour  of  their 
God,  their  portion  as  adherents  to  his  law,  and  of  others  who, 
though  conscious  of  talents  to  raise  them  to  renown  in  higher 
employments,  and  not  unfrequently  invited  to  forsake  their 
people,  still  continued  to  live  as  Jews  in  conscious  integrity  and 
an  obscurity  more  honourable  than  the  blood-stained  triumph  of 
a  monarch. 

With  all  this  the  hand  of  God  was  visibly  stretched  out  for 
our  protection,  and  despite  of  all  the  dangers  that  encompassed 
us  we  were  not  utterly  destroyed.  At  length  the  bigotry  of  an 
iron  age  began  gradually  to  wear  away  before  the  re-discovered 
saving  power  of  the  holy  Bible.  The  world  began  to  inquire,  and 
to  doubt  the  authority  that  bound  every  thing  to  the  mandate 
of  a  priestly  autocrat.  By  degrees  too  the  bonds  of  persecution 
towards  our  people  were  more  and  more  loosened ;  and  though 


116  THK  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL. 

yet  oppressed,  and  not  permitted  to  be  put  on  an  equality  with 
other  men,  we  needed  no  longer  to  tremble  for  our  personal 
safety  and  the  security  of  the  honest  fruits  of  our  industry.  We 
already  thought  ourselves  beyond  the  reach  of  the  recurrence 
of  ancient  barbarities,  we  fancied  the  world  too  enlightened  to 
persecute  each  other  because  they  could  not  agree  on  specula- 
tive matters.  Especially  were  many  of  us  lulled  into  security 
when  not  long  since  the  spirit  of  innovation  swept  like  a  mighty 
whirlwind  over  the  civilized  world,  overturning  in  its  violence 
long  cherished  opinions,  prostrating  deep-rooted  custom,  scat- 
tering to  the  winds  institutions  which  formerly  no  man  dared  to 
question.  We  then  saw  those  who  had  hated  us  bending  in  their 
turn  to  the  blast ;  we  beheld  our  persecutors  flying  themselves 
from  the  fury  of  a  populace  formerly  obedient  to  their  wink  in 
the  slaughter  of  unoffending  Israelites.  We  heard  liberty  and 
equality  proclaimed  as  the  birthright  of  every  son  of  man;  and 
saw  the  people  everywhere  roused  by  this  cheering  cry  bursting 
asunder  the  fetters  of  slavery  and  ranging  themselves  under  the 
banner  which  promised  to  lead  them  to  victory  over  the  pros- 
trate ruins  of  the  mighty  fabric  which  ages  of  superstition  had 
endeavoured  to  rear,  like  another  tower  of  Babel,  the  top  of 
which  should  reach  unto  heaven.  We  saw  and  heard  all  this ; 
and  torn  away  too  by  the  popular  torrent,  we  hailed  this  period 
as  one  of  Israel's  salvation,  we  felt  that  we  too  could  share  in 
the  triumph  of  the  people's  cause — we  rejoiced  that  we  were 
free.  And  truly  the  change  was  great  and  grateful ;  the  con- 
tempt attached  to  the  name  of  Jew  nearly  vanished,  when  so 
many  bearing  it  were  invested  with  power  equally  with  other 
men,  when  bursting  forth  from  the  shackles  of  prejudice, 
from  the  limits  which  the  hatred  of  our  name  had  cast  around 
us,  we  vindicated  our  rights  as  men  by  a  display  of  excellence 
in  all  branches  of  honourable  pursuit  and  knowledge  which 
before  had  been  interdicted  to  us ! — But  wo !  as  our  prosperity 
increased,  so  increased  our  indifference  to  religion  and  its  obser- 
vance ;  as  the  great  mass  cast  off  antiquated  opinions,  so  too  did 
we  hasten  to  prove  that  the  revolution  had  touched  our  spirit 
also.  Would !  that  truth  were  not  compelled  to  acknowledge 
the  apostacy  of  Israel !  would !  that  a  lover  of  his  faith  might 
say,  that  we  did  bear  becomingly  the  change  in  our  circum- 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  H7 

stances.  But  as  ever,  "Jeshurun  grew  fat  and  kicked;"  and 
everywhere  we  mingled  upon  equal  terms  with  the  nations,  and 
forgetful  of  our  obligations  to  the  God  of  our  deliverance,  we 
ate  the  food  which  his  law  prohibits;  we  violated  the  Sabbath 
of  his  ordaining ;  we  intermarried  with  the  gentile  women,  and 
our  daughters  wedded  those  who  are  not  of  the  stock  of  Jacob  ; 
we  refused  to  circumcise  our  male  children ;  we  reformed,  as 
we  called  it,  our  simple  worship ;  neglected  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures;  and  in  short  became  lamentably  deficient  in  the 
fulfilment  of  our  duties. — Yes,  we  imagined  that  our  freedom 
was  the  gift  of  men,  not  the  bestowal  of  the  Supreme,  for  which 
He  deserves  more  energetic  exertions  to  serve  and  obey  Him ; 
we  imagined  that  the  age  of  persecution  was  over,  and  that  the 
price  of  divine  protection,  the  constant  vigilance  over  our  con- 
duct, was  no  longer  needed.  We  fell  as  we  always  have  fallen; 
and  prosperity  as  in  former  ages  rendered  us  careless  of  that 
which  adversity  had  rendered  dear  to  us  as  the  light  of  our  eyes. 
Hence  it  was  that  we  so  eagerly  sought  to  become  like  other 
nations,  and  hence  it  is  the  melancholy  spectacle  was  witnessed 
of  entire  families  falling  off  from  our  religion,  not  by  open  apos- 
tacy,  by  an  avowed  joining  of  the  standard  of  our  opponents ; 
but  by  a  gradual  leaving  off  of  all  the  distinguishing  character- 
istics of  Jewish  conduct,  till  at  length  of  some  of  these  families 
there  is  not  one  remaining  to  claim  affinity  with  the  sons  of 
Israel.  Such  persons  moreover  are  more  injurious  than  avowed 
apostates,  for  these  last  are  shunned  as  deserters  from  the  fold 
of  the  Lord ;  but  the  others  are  like  the  festering  cancer,  they 
are  a  part  of  ourselves  and  destroy  the  vitality  of  the  body  on 
which  they  feed.  And  truly  these  lukewarm  followers  of  our 
faith,  these  Jews  by  name,  where  there  is  no  substantial  reli- 
gious conviction  or  outward  conformity,  have  by  their  example, 
and  associations,  and  family  connections  drawn  in  thousands  of 
others,  who  otherwise  might  have  stood  steadfast ;  until  at  length 
we  view  with  complaisance,  without  the  least  horror,  the  public 
violation  of  the  Sabbath,  the  eating  of  the  gentile's  food,  and 
the  intermarriage  with  strangers  to  our  blood,  to  such  a  degree 
even,  that  scarely  any  regret  is  expressed  if,  by  such  an  act  as 
the  last  mentioned,  an  entire  household  bo  driven  from  the  com- 


118  THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL. 

munity  of  our  people,  and  thrown  into  the  fatal  embrace  of 
strangers  to  our  religion. — Nay  more,  people  violate  every  com- 
mandment, some  will  not  seal  their  offspring  with  the  sign  of 
the  covenant,  and  still  claim  the  right  of  Israelites  as  though  no 
wrong  were  chargeable  on  their  conscience ;  and  they  thus  ac- 
knowledge that  whilst  wilfully  rebelling  against  the  law,  they 
believe  in  its  sanctity  and  divine  origin. — And  these  deeds  we 
imagine  will  remain  unavenged?  we  defy  God,  and  fancy  that 
his  thunders  slumber?  But  "lo  He  slumbers  not,  He  sleeps  not, 
the  Guardian  of  Israel;"  He  who  ever  stretched  out  his  hand  to 
draw  us  safely  out  of  the  fowler's  snare,  or  from  the  floods  of 
mighty  waters,  will  save  us,  despite  of  ourselves,  from  the  con- 
sequences of  our  own  iniquity,  from  the  foxes  among  us  who 
wound  our  vineyards,  the  vineyards  of  the  Lord,  that  have 
tender  grapes.*  The  Lord  in  his  own  good  time  will  purify 
his  fold,  He  will  cast  out  thence  those  who  will  not  follow  the 
lead  of  their  Shepherd.  Yea  !  though  they  flourish  awhile,  their 
hour  of  retribution  is  nigh,  nearer  than  any  one  may  perhaps 
imagine. — For,  believe  me  brethren !  this  is  not  the  first  time 
that  indifference  and  neglect  were  the  besetting  sins  of  our 
people;  already  during  our  existence  as  an  independent  nation 
were  there  men  like  those  I  have  endeavoured  to  sketch  to  you. 
An  Elijah  had  to  fly  for  his  life  because  he  had  fulfilled  the  com- 
mand of  the  law  on  those  who  had  misled  the  people  to  sin;  and 
when  after  the  times  of  this  devoted  prophet  the  judgment  of 
the  Most  High  had  cast  the  ten  tribes  from  their  boundaries:  the 
remaining  families  of  Israel  persisted  in  sin,  imagining  that  the 
evil  would  not  reach  them.  They,  like  the  men  in  our  day, 
were  lulled  in  fatal  security,  they  would  not  believe  that  their 
stronghold  Jerusalem  could  become  a  prey  to  the  devouring 
flame. — It  was  then  that  Jeremiah  was  called  to  step  forward 
as  the  prophet  of  wo,  and  to  denounce  upon  the  sinful  genera- 
tion and  their  guilty  city  the  evil  which  was  hastening  with 
rapid  strides  to  overwhelm  in  one  common  ruin  king  and  people, 
priest  and  prophet,  city  and  country,  the  holy  and  the  profane. 
And  thus  we  read: 

*  Song  of  Solomon,  ii.  15. 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  j  jg 

run  nnx  no  -10*6  »Stf  ;n  -m  »m 
roD»n  »Stf  'n  *iD*n  :  nsn  O 

S  nan  Sy  OK 


"  Moreover  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying:  What  dost  thou 
see,  Jeremiah?  And  I  said,  I  see  a  rod  of  an  almond  tree.  Then  said  the 
Lord  to  me  :  Thou  hast  well  seen,  for  I  am  hastening  with  my  word  to  fulfil 
it."  Jer.  i.  11,  12. 

I  will  merely  remark  incidentl  ythat  the  same  root  in  Hebrew 
signifying  almond  also  makes  the  verb  hasten,  thus  Shahkayd 
and  Shahkahd  ;  hence  the  vision  representing  to  the  prophet's 
view  the  speedy  accomplishment  of  the  evil  was  a  rod  of  an 
almond  tree;  and  let  me  farther  state  that  many  passages  in  the 
prophets  must  be  explained  in  a  similar  manner  by  a  reference  to 
a  similarity  of  words  in  the  Hebrew  original  text  which  no  trans- 
lation can  convey.  —  Enough,  the  prophet  saw  long  before  the 
people  thought  themselves  in  danger  the  certain  approach  of  the 
fulfilment  of  God's  word  conveyed  to  them  by  former  messen- 
gers, unless  they  themselves  would  avert  the  evil  by  a  speedy 
and  thorough  repentance.  The  servant  of  the  Lord  went  forth, 
reasoned  with  his  brethren,  and  for  many  years  exhorted  them 
to  reflect  and  to  return  to  the  safe  haven  of  the  divine  protec- 
tion; yet  they  refused  to  listen,  their  ears  were  closed,  their  eyes 
averted.  But  the  evil  they  did  not  suppose  possible  did  come 
at  length,  and  famine,  and  pestilence,  and  fire,  and  sword  com- 
pleted the  work  of  desolation,  and  never  was  the  crown  of  our 
head  restored  since  it  was  hurled  to  the  ground  in  the  days  of 
Zedekiah.  This  briefly  was  our  fate  in  former  years,  when  we 
sinned,  reckless  of  the  impending  judgment:  coming  events  were 
sketched  out,  so  to  say,  before  the  people's  eyes,  but  they  would 
not  believe  themselves  guilty,  nor  would  they  imagine'  the  pro- 
phecies would  become  fulfilment.  —  May  it  not  be,  beloved 
brethren,  that  evil  is  now  impending  over  us  for  our  manifold 
transgression,  for  our  repeated  disregard  of  the  duties  demanded 
by  our  holy  law?  Even  now  persecution  has  again  lighted  her 
consuming  torch,  its  lurid  glare  has  already  terrified  many  of  our 
distant  communities,  nay  some  have  bled  under  its  visitation; 


1-20  THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL. 

and  we  fear  not;  we  think  the  evil  too  far  removed  for  us  to  dread 
its  approach.  But  may  not  the  reports  we  hear  be  the  mutter- 
ing of  the  distant  thunder  which  ere  long  may  burst  over  our 
own  heads  in  all  the  fierceness  of  a  destroying  storm  ?  may  not 
the  distant  sorro\v  be  like  the  heavy  atmosphere  which  precedes 
the  earthquake  that  overthrows  cities  and  desolates  fertile  lands/ 
may  not  our  present  safety  be  like  the  slumbering  of  a  volcano 
whose  fires  are  not  quenched  though  its  eruptions  have  ceased? 
I  fear,  I  fear,  that  our  security  is  of  a  like  uncertain  tenure;  for 
if  even  there  should  be  no  human  persecution  possible  in  lands 
where  the  rule  of  the  laws  is  firmly  established,  God's  power  is 
not  shortened,  and  He  has  in  store  exquisite  pains  of  a  new  and 
unheard-of  nature  perhaps,  which  may  unawares  strike  deep 
into  the  heart  of  the  obdurate  sinner. 

Our  fathers  have  sinned,  and  they  are  no  more ;  yet  we  bear 
the  burden  of  our  captivity  for  the  sins  they  committed.  They 
were  unwise  inasmuch  as  they  would  not  take  warning  when 
they  were  admonished.  Shall  we  imitate  their  follies  ?  shall  we 
hear  the  voice  that  admonishes  us  without  heeding  its  call  ?  O 
no,  brethren !  remove  this  stumbling-block  of  unbelief  on  which 
so  many  have  been  wrecked  already ;  draw  nearer  to  the  Rock 
of  salvation,  to  the  Lord  your  God,  whose  precepts  are  in  your 
hands.  Seize  hold  of  the  hand  that  is  pointing  out  the  road  ye 
should  walk,  and  fear  not  to  suffer  for  the  sake  of  your  Maker, 
if  his  service  should  be  surrounded  by  bodily  dangers. — He  is 
the  Author  of  your  life,  the  Arbiter  of  your  fortune ;  and  why 
then  should  you  refuse  to  yield  the  one  or  relinquish  the  other  if 
even.these  were  demanded  ?  But  no  such  sacrifice  is  desired  of 
you  now;  you  are  merely  asked  to  devote  a  small  part  of  your 
days,  a  little  bodily  suffering,  but  a  small  portion  of  your  wealth, 
because  the  law  so  makes  it  your  duty. — Let  us,  therefore,  hope 
that  we  will  take  better  counsel,  and  that  we  will  become  more 
and  more  allied,to  the  Creator  by  deeds  which  well  befit  Israel, 
which  are  consonant  with  the  service  of  the  Most  High.  If  then 
notwithstanding  this  obedience  misfortune  should  be  our  lot,  we 
will  have  the  consolation  that  we  have  the  favour  of  our  God  to 
assist  us  in  our  sorrow ;  and  that  though  men  frown,  He  will 
smile  approvingly  when  we  are  summoned  into  his  presence  to 


THE  SORROWS  OF  ISRAEL.  j^l 

render  an  account  of  the  deeds  done  in  the  flesh  whilst  perform- 
ing our  weary  pilgrimage  on  earth. 

Father  above !  answer  our  prayer,  and  look  with  compas- 
sion on  thy  people  in  every  land  where  they  dwell;  prosper  the 
good  which  is  desired  in  their  behalf;  but  frustrate  all  the  evil 
designs  of  those  who  endeavour  to  injure  thy  heritage ;  and  re- 
member that  we  are  thy  own  peculiar  treasure,  the  children  of 
thy  servants,  to  whom  Thou  hast  promised  redemption  through 
thy  messenger,  the  anointed  son  of  David.  Amen. 

Tamuz  23d 
July  24th 

NOTE. — The  above  Discourse  was  written  with  reference  to  the  persecu- 
tion of  the  Jews  which  commenced  in  the  winter  of  '40  both  at  Rhodes  and 
Damascus  under  the  false  pretext,  the  parent  nevertheless  of  many  similar 
atrocities  in  the  middle  ages,  of  the  Jews  employing  human  blood  at  their  fes- 
tivals. That  such  an  absurdity  should  ever  have  been  advanced,  not  to  mention 
its  finding  credence  with  so  many  whose  opportunities  of  knowing  the  truth 
must  have  been  ample,  is  truly  a  phenomenon  in  the  history  of  the  follies  to 
which  the  human  mind  has  at  times  been  known  to  cling  svith  a  pertinacity 
and  avidity  which  would  have  been  honouring  the  cause  of  virtue  and  be- 
nevolence. And  it  appears  to  me  that  the  serious  refutation  bestowed  upon 
this  calumnious  charge  by  so  many  distinguished  men  of  our  people  is 
almost  superfluous;  were  it  not  that  despite  of  its  absurdity  it  has  worked 
mischief  enough  and  caused  incalculable  suffering  to  thousands  of  Israelites 
at  different  times.  Yet  as  the  world  has  advanced  so  wide  in  civilization, 
and  a  knowledge  of  our  laws  and  ceremonies  is  now  so  extensive,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  its  late  revival,  and  the  consequent  persecution,  may  be  the  last 
we  shall  have  to  witness. — In  another  address  I  had  occasion  to  dwell  more 
at  length  upon  this  melancholy  occurrence  stripped  of  the  above  application  to 
religious  improvement,  and  to  exhibit  some  more  of  the  especial  features  which 
presented  themselves  in  connection  with  it,  although  it  amounts  by  no  means 
to  any  thing  like  a  history  of  the  event;  which  however  I  could  hardly  give 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  lectures,  and  which  I  have  no  doubt  will  at 
some  future  day  be  furnished  by  some  one  of  the  gifted  sons  of  our  people. 

One  gratifying  circumstance  has  attended  this  affliction.  Men  of  all  per- 
suasions and  of  all  countries  have  felt  and  so  expressed  themselves  that  a 
great  wrong  has  been  committed  against  an  unoffending  body  of  men ;  and 
individuals  in  all  stations  have  emulated  to  show  their  sympathy  and  to  offer 
relief.  Pre-eminent  among  these  stands  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  chief  magis- 
trate of  this  republic,  who  unsolicited  by  any  one  instructed  the  ambassador 
of  the  United  States  at  Constantinople  and  their  consul  at  Alexandria  to  use 
their  influence  in  behalf  of  the  prisoners,  and  to  urge  the  abolition  of  torture 

VOL.  in. — 11 


122  TIIE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

in  judicial  proceedings. — I  know  not  whether  these  recommendations  have 
had  any  effect ;  but  this  is  of  no  importance  in  the  present  case,  as  I  only 
refer  to  the  honourable  feeling  without  reference  to  the  consequences.  I  will 
merely  state,  that  when  writing  the  above  Discourse  these  orders  had  not 
been  given  ;  in  fact  no  public  movement  whatever  had  taken  place  in  this 
country  in  the  matter;  though  since  then  the  case  has  been  very  different. 

As  these  sheets  are  going  through  the  press  the  gratifying  intelligence 
has  been  received,  that  through  the  agency  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  and 
M.  Cremieux  the  Pacha  of  Egypt  has  ordered  the  liberation  of  all  the  pri- 
soners confined  in  Damascus,  and  given  permission  to  those  who  had  fled  to 
return  to  their  homes.  Still  the  favour  of  a  public  trial,  which  would  have 
demonstrated  their  innocence,  has  been  refused,  and  the  torture  has  not  yet 
been  abolished,  although  it  was  urged  by  the  "  representatives  of  the  Jews 
of  all  the  globe." — In  Rhodes  also  the  falsity  of  the  charge  has  been  made 
apparent,  and  the  authors  of  the  wrong  have  been  punished  for  their  daring 
violation  of  the  rights  of  humanity. — Thus  have  they,  who  had  at  first  no 
one  to  aid  them,  been  snatched  from  destruction,  and  thus  has  divine  Good- 
ness raised  up  friends  and  advocates  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  oppressed. — 
LAUS  DEO  ! 

Heshvan  21st,  5601. 


DISCOURSE  XI. 

THE     REQUIREMENTS     OP     THE     LAW. 

GLORY  unto  the  Father  who  is  everlasting,  praise  and  holi- 
ness to  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  even  in  the  midst  of  his 
servants  the  house  of  Israel  whom  He  has  chosen  to  be  his 
people,  the  messengers  of  his  word,  the  heralds  of  his  glory,  as 
long  as  endure  the  heavens  and  the  earth  which  He  created  in 
power  and  wisdom.  Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 

Like  the  works  of  the  Lord,  so  are  his  word  and  promises, 
enduring  for  ever.  Whatever  is,  exists,  just  as  you  see  it,  for 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  133 

a  wise  and  useful  object,  although  your  information,  your  know- 
ledge of  the  ways  of  God,  will  not  permit  you  to  discover  the 
why  ?  and  wherefore  1  Even  so  is  the  ,word  revealed  from  the 
Supreme  Ruler ;  its  essence  is  wisdom,  its  purpose  the  beati- 
tude and  salvation  of  the  creatures  of  his  hands.  Nothing  in 
all  nature  is  fortuitous,  that  is  to  say,  nothing  is,  as  we  find  it, 
put  here  by  chance,  at  random,  without  an  ulterior  view,  with- 
out design;  for  the  Wisdom  that  created,  surveyed  after  creating 
every  thing  which  exists,  and  pronounced  it  "  very  good  :"  the 
design  is  apparent  at  every  step;  the  foresight  which  con- 
structed all  is  proven  by  the  admirable  adaptation  of  every 
thing  for  the  object  of  its  existence ;  every  being  rejoices  in  its 
own  sphere  of  action ;  and  the  pondrous  mass  of  iron  which 
the  smith  wields  to  fashion  into  shape  the  articles  which  he  ela- 
borates is  no  less  suited  to  its  end,  by  its  texture,  hardness  and 
power  of  endurance,  than  is  the  human  body,  wonderful  as  are 
its  form  and  structure,  to  the  end  of  its  formation.  The  more 
knowledge  you  obtain,  the  deeper  you  penetrate  by  study  and 
reflection  into  the  mysteries  and  connection  of  outward  nature, 
the  stronger,  the  more  convincing  will  these  facts  force  them- 
selves upon  your  conviction ;  and  at  every  step  in  advance  you 
take  in  the  wide  book  of  scientific  discovery  you  will  be  stand- 
ing self-abashed  for  ever  having  dared  to  doubt  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  your  Creator ;  and  if  in  the  commencement  of  your 
inquiry  you  started  with  the  dreadful  idea  of  disproving  the 
existence  of  one  Ruler  and  Maker,  the  first  dawn  of  light  which 
the  harmony  of  all  things  sends  into  your  soul  will  make  you 
exclaim  with  the  Psalmist :  "  Thou  art  the  God  that  doest 
wonders,  Thou  hast  made  known  thy  strength  among  the  na- 
tions."* The  dark  clouds  of  unbelief  will  vanish ;  your  eyes  will 
be  opened  to  the  glorious  truth  that  beams  from  every  star,  that 
shines  forth  from  the  bright  light  of  day,  that  rises  upwards 
from  the  green  meadows,  from  the  flowing  brook,  from  the 
arid  plain ;  and  your  ears  will  greedily  drink  in  the  sound  that 
speaks  from  every  hill,  from  every  valley,  which  is  repeated 
from  the  sage  whose  words  are  wisdom,  from  the  yet  speech- 
less babe,  from  the  howling  beasts  of  the  desert,  and  from  the 

*  Psalm  Ixxvii.  15. 


JOJ  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

leathered  minstrels :  "  There  is  a  God,  who  made  us  all !" — It 
is  ignorance  alone  which  can  doubt  the  existence  of  a  Creator; 
it  is  folly  alone  which  in  its  presumption  can  deny  the  over- 
ruling of  an  all-wise,  all  powerful,  all-merciful  Providence. 
Devotion  however  is  the  child  of  knowledge,  and  the  progress 
-of  instruction  will  fill  the  spirit  with  prayerful  thoughts,  with 
exulting  thanksgiving  for  the  innumerable  blessings,  for  the 
countless  means  of  enjoyment  which  are  so  liberally  scattered 
over  the  whole  surface  of  nature  by  its  wise  and  benignant 
Author. 

But  no  less  than  outwrard  nature,  is  the  inspiration  of  God 
manifested  in  the  books  of  Holy  Writ,  an  object  of  admiration ; 
and  the  whole  scheme  of  divine  truths  presents  to  thinking 
minds  causes  for  study  and  humble  submission ;  and  the  more 
our  circle  of  knowledge  is  enlarged,  the  greater  will  become 
our  attachment  to  the  precepts  and  doctrines  which  our  Maker 
has  been  pleased  to  bestow  on  a  benighted  world.  Just  as  with 
the  Creator  himself,  nothing  but  ignorance  can  have  doubts  of 
the  existence  of  the  holy  Word,  or  of  the  wisdom  of  the  institu- 
tions which  are  founded  on  it.  Many  there  have  indeed  been 
who  have  affected  to  disbelieve,  to  find  fault,  to  deny  the  excel- 
lence of  the  treasure  which  they  either  did  not  understand  or  if 
understanding  wickedly  rejected.  But  look  at  their  doings — 
and  have  these  been  of  the  kind  to  win  admiration  from  their 
fellow-beings?  at  their  teaching — and  can  you  discover  in  it 
aught  of  that  universal  applicability  which  the  Bible  presents  at 
every  page  ?  It  were  enough  to  make  a  philanthropist  weep 
over  the  folly  of  man  to  behold  the  imbecile  presumption  with 
which  he  endeavours  to  measure  the  code  of  our  Lord  by  the 
small  measure  of  knowledge  and  light  which  has  been  bestowed 
on  him ;  especially  if  he  at  the  same  time  surveys  all  the  systems 
which  have  ever  been  based  upon  human  invention  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  unto  our  own  days.  On  all  sides  jarring 
inconsistencies  will  be  apparent ;  and  the  attempts  to  file  away 
the  roughness  of  the  scriptural  scheme  in  the  modern  so  called 
improvements,  will  exhibit  themselves  as  things  to  be  deprecated 
by  those  who  humbly  wish  to  serve  their  Maker  and  to  promote 
the  best  interests  of  their  neighbour. 

Let  the  doubter  speak  of  the  terrors  of  a  bloody  code,  such 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  135 

as  the  Mosaic  dispensation ;  let  him  declare  that  he  understands 
not  how  a  law,  claiming  to  be  of  divine  origin,  can  demand  the 
immolation  of  criminals  for  a  violation  of  its  details :  still  let 
the  believer  not  be  deterred  from  pursuing  his  humble  inquiries 
into  the  beauties  of  the  heavenly  gift  in  our  possession ;  but  let 
him  look  upon  the  denunciations  of  punishment  in  their  true 
light,  as  evidence  of  the  great  weight  which  the  Lord  attaches 
to  the  observance  of  his  precepts,  and  that  He  deemed  the  trans- 
gression of  the  most  vital  of  them  so  dangerous  to  the  general 
welfare,  as  to  ordain  that  he  who  purposely  so  offends,  and 
scandalizes  his  neighbour  by  his  open  misconduct  should  re- 
ceive condign  punishment  as  a  sinner  against  the  public  peace 
and  happiness.  He  ought  farther  to  take  into  consideration, 
that  it  by  no  means  follows,  that  a  punishment  is  inflicted  be- 
cause it  is  threatened  ;  but  that  the  law  merely  declares  that  a 
punishment  should  follow  a  violation,  and  the  only  object  of  the 
threat  thus  made  is  to  deter  those,  who  otherwise  might  be  in- 
duced from  wilfulness  or  interested  views  to  become  guilty  in 
the  eyes  of  the  law,  from  fulfilling  their  sinful  intentions.  I  will 
merely  mention  here  incidentally,  that  the  punishment  of  death, 
according  to  the  best  authorities,  was  rarely  witnessed  in  Pales- 
tine, perhaps  a  centenarian  might  never  have  seen  one  execu- 
tion from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other ;  so  mild  was  the 
sway  of  the  Mosaic  precepts,  so  careful  of  life,  of  the  sinner's 
even,  was  the  code  which  of  old  governed  the  Israelitish  nation. 
— To  continue  :  who  would  blame  a  father,  if  he  were  to  an- 
nounce to  his  son  that  he  should  have  no  share  in  his  patri- 
mony were  he  to  bring  disgrace  upon  his  family  by  a  criminal 
course  of  life  1  Yet  precisely  similar  is  the  case  with  the  law  ; 
it  is  the  gift  of  our  universal  Parent,  the  Bestower  of  life  and 
happiness ;  it  is  intended  as  the  best  safeguard  of  our  temporal 
and  permanent  welfare ;  it  is  our  inheritance,  and  mankind 
have  been  appointed  its  guardians.  Now  one  of  the  commu- 
nity, disregarding  his  obligation  to  his  God  and  to  his  fellow- 
beings,  wilfully  transgresses,  and  bids  open  defiance  to  the 
kindly  warning  which  would  gladly  teach  him  better  things : 
he  becomes  in  consequence  an  outcast  from  the  community  of 
the  law,  and  a  fester  upon  the  body  politic ;  he  is,  so  to  say, 
disinherited  from  his  father's  household,  and  his  life  becomes  a 

11* 


126  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

forfeit  to  deter  others  from  following  the  evil  which  has  been 
daringly  perpetrated  among  them  !  Not,  therefore,  to  revenge, 
but  to  infuse  wholesome  terror  into  the  general  mass,  for  the 
promotion  of  the  greatest  good  of  the  greatest  number,  was  the 
sword  handed  over  to  those  who  are,  under  the  divine  sanction 
of  revelation,  to  administer  the  rule  of  state  and  the  dispensa- 
tion of  justice  for  the  benefit  of  every  individual,  be  he  high  or 
low,  exalted  or  humble.  For  were  it  not  the  terror  of  the  laws, 
the  state  of  society  would  be  deplorable  in  the  extreme ;  each 
man  would  endeavour  to  right  himself  by  his  own  strength  of 
arm  ;  he  would  in  a  measure  be  compelled  to  redress  his  own 
wrongs ;  and  it  requires  but  a  small  share  of  comprehension  to 
be  convinced  that  such  proceedings  would  produce  anarchy 
among  the  powerful,  and  suffering  and  sorrow  among  the  weak 
and  unprotected.  If  now  the  Mosaic  law  is  inexorable  in  its 
punishment  of  murder,  what  is  effected  thereby  ?  nothing  less 
than  the  restraining  of  the  man  of  violence  or  him  of  hasty 
and  ungovernable  anger  from  violating  the  life  of  his  fellows ; 
for  if  his  passion  would  arm  his  hand  against  his  brother,  he 
will  be  perhaps  induced  to  reflect  that  if  he  should  be  con- 
victed of  shedding  a  brother's  blood,  he  would  have  no  mercy 
to  expect  from  the  community  who  are  appointed  to  decide 
upon  the  degree  of  his  criminality. 

If  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  committed  publicly  and  in 
defiance  of  brotherly  admonition,  and  where  there  is  no  case 
of  necessity  proved,  consigns  the  offender  to  the  visitation  of 
an  ignominious  death:  is  there  so  much  sympathy  to  be  ex- 
pressed for  him  who  has  daringly  rebelled  against  the  com- 
mandments ?  No !  for  the  Sabbath  was  to  be  the  weekly 
acknowledgment  of  God's  rule  on  earth  and  of  the  debt  of  gra- 
titude owing  from  the  people  to  their  Deliverer ;  it  was  to  be 
a  time  of  reunion  of  all  that  has  life  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lord ;  and  everywhere  should  be  rest,  calmness,  adoration. 
Now  steps  forward  one  from  the  entire  mass,  forgetful  of  God's 
power,  disregarding  his  obligation  as  a  son  of  Israel ;  he  will 
not  rest  when  his  brothers  rest ;  his  ox  is  not  to  stand  quietly 
in  the  stall ;  his  ass  is  to  bend  his  back  to  the  burden  ;  his  ser- 
vants are  not  to  refresh  themselves ;  his  son  is  not  to  go  and 
hear  the  word  of  salvation  propounded  ;  his  daughter  is  not  to 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  137 

mingle  with  those  who  go  joyously  forward  lo  the  house  of 
God  ;  his  wife  is  not  to  appear  among  the  matrons  of  her  people 
when  all  others  abstain  from  toil ;  what  is  he  but  a  rebel  against 
the  divine  Majesty  which  dwells  in  Israel,  a  disturber  of  the 
public  peace,  a  destroyer  of  the  social  compact,  who,  if  his 
example  were  followed,  would  lead  many  to  sin,  by  producing 
a  neglect  of  an  institution  which  is  wholesome  at  the  same  time 
to  the  body,  and  binding  the  soul  more  closely  to  the  Ruler 
of  the  universe  ?  Therefore,  says  the  law  (Exodus  xxxi.  14) : 
"  Therefore  you  shall  keep  the  Sabbath,  for  it  is  holy  unto  you ; 
every  one  that  defileth  it  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  ;  for  who- 
soever doth  any  work  thereon,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  his  people."  Not,  as  we  said  before,  in  vengeance,  not 
because  the  law  thirsts  for  the  transgressor's  blood,  but  to  re- 
move the  evil  example  of  the  wicked  sinner  who,  knowing  the 
responsibility  he  incurs,  will  still  bid  defiance  to  his  God,  who 
is  the  invisible  King  of  his  people,  and  neglect  the  institution 
which  his  brothers  in  faith  justly  esteem  as  too  sacred  to  be 
disregarded  with  impunity. 

Let  us  take  another  example.  The  foundation  of  our  law  is 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  Supreme  Being,  who  manifested 
himself  to  our  forefathers  in  Egypt,  as  we  read  (Exodus  xx.  2.)  : 
"  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  who  have  brought  thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt  from  the  house  of  slavery."  Here  we  are  told 
who  it  is  that  demands  our  obedience ;  not  a  being  of  doubtful 
power,  of  questionable  goodness,  but  One  of  infinite  greatness, 
whose  hand  is  not  restrained,  whose  working  is  not  limited  by 
obstacles,  by  time,  by  localities,  whose  power  pervades  every 
space,  whose  care  watches  over  every  creature,  whose  justice 
leaves  not  the  humble  to  remain  a  prey  to  the  oppressor.  This 
is  the  essence  of  our  King  !  this  the  doing  of  our  God  !  who  is 
great,  good,  holy,  one,  and  eternal.  •  Not,  therefore,  because 
He  is  jealous  of  a  rival  who  does  not  exist,  not,  therefore,  be- 
cause He  is  unwilling  to  share  his  glory  with  a  second  who  can 
have  no  being,  was  idolatry  or  false  worship  prohibited ;  but 
simply  because  such  fatal  error  must  be  destructive  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  people,  as  it  would  gradually  lead  them  away  from 
the  truth,  and  cause  the  prevalence  of  systems  of  darkness  and 
iniquity,  where  non-entities  are  adored  in  place  of  the  overliving 


128  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

God,  and  superstition  and  misrule  take  the  place  of  the  wise 
laws  emanating  directly  from  the  Supreme  Wisdom.  What 
then  ought  to  be  the  fate  of  the  presumptuous  sinner  who  pub- 
licly throws  off  the  yoke  which  it  is  graceful  for  man  to  bear, 
who  denies  his  accountability  to  his  heavenly  Father,  who 
openly  declares  that  he  has  no  portion  in  Israel's  God  ?  Is  the 
earth  to  groan  under  the  weight  of  such  a  monster  among  the 
community  of  the  righteous  ?  is  he  to  be  permitted  to  utter 
aloud  his  blasphemy,  and  perchance  to  erect  an  image  of  Mo- 
loch within  his  field,  and  sacrifice  to  it  his  innocent  son,  his 
sinless  daughter  ?  The  punishment  may  seem  bloody,  but  it  is 
the  only  one  that  is  meet  for  the  crime ;  and  whereas  the  sinner 
has  become  a  scandal  and  a  hinderance  to  his  brothers :  the 
law  demands  his  removal  from  among  the  living,  that,  since 
his  life  has  exhibited  a  bad  example,  his  death  may  atone  for 
the  guilt  and  be  the  means  of  deterring  others  from  following 
the  path  of  sin  which  leads  to  destruction. — But  observe,  it  was 
not  speculative  idolatry  which  was  punishable  by  the  sword  of 
justice  ;  for  whilst  man  sinned  only  to  his  Maker  the  vengeance 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  alone ;  not  to  man  was  to  be 
given  the  judging  over  another's  thoughts  and  opinions  ;  but  it 
was  only  when  the  daring  had  proceeded  to  the  length  of  an 
outward  adoration,  or  of  some  act  which  proved  to  the  satis- 
faction of  men  that  the  transgressor  had  thrown  off  the  alle- 
giance which  the  whole  community  owed  to  their  heavenly 
King,  that  the  civil  authorities  could  step  forward  to  arrest,  try, 
condemn  and  punish  an  act  which  had  placed  the  criminal 
beyond  the  pale  of  the  laws,  and  rendered  him  unworthy  of 
life. — It  were  easy  to  go  farther  into  this  inquiry,  and  to  exhibit 
at  greater  length  the  correctness  of  the  punishments  in  the  Mo- 
saic rule  of  other  wrongs  besides  those  enumerated ;  but  for 
once  we  have  shown  enough  that  the  objections  of  the  doubter 
are  by  no  means  formidable  before  the  light  of  reason ;  and  at 
some  future  day  it  is  probable  that  the  inquiry  may  be  pursued 
in  its  more  minute  ramifications. — Enough  for  our  purpose  that 
the  punishments  were  commensurate  with  the  crimes,  and  that 
their  aim  was  the  purification  of  the  body  politic  when  it  was 
evident  that  the  sinner  himself  had  been  placed  beyond  the 
reach  of  amendment.  In  addition  to  this  we  find  a  gradation 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  129 

of  punishment,  and  nowhere  do  \ve  discover  a  minor  wrong 
visited  by  the  greater  retaliation.  Happy,  therefore,  had  it 
been,  if  all  mankind  had  submitted  themselves  to  the  operation 
of  this  code  ;  happy  indeed  had  our  nation  been,  had  we  always 
consulted  its  enactments,  and  been  sincere  in  obeying  them  ! 
Then  would  we  have  prospered  beyond  measure,  and  we  should 
have  been  an  enviable  people,  with  God  for  our  only  King,  and 
universal  brotherly  love  the  ruling  passion  of  our  lives.  And 
it  is  this  alone  which  is  the  object  of  the  revelation  we  have 
received  ;  not  so  much  the  exaltation  of  the  Creator  who  needs 
not  our  service,  as  the  welfare  of  the  creature  who  needs  both 
the  assistance  of  his  fellow-mortal  in  his  search  for  happiness 
and  the  grace  of  his  God  to  prosper  his  undertaking. 

These  views  will  enable  us  to  understand  one  of  the  most 
sublime  passages  in  Holy  Writ,  sublime  even  there  where  every 
word  almost  is  fraught  with  doctrines  of  life  and  salvation  ; 
which  was  delivered  at  the  time  when  the  end  of  our  teacher's 
days  was  fast  approaching,  when  his  priestly  brother  and  pro- 
phetic sister  had  already  preceded  him  unto  the  land  of  ever- 
lasting life  ;  when  he  was  almost  on  the  point  of  surrendering 
his  guiding-staff  to  his  trusty  successor  ;  when  a  ministration 
of  forty  years,  during  which  he  had  endeavoured  to  make  known 
to  the  people  the  ways  and  laws  of  God,  was  drawing  to  a 
speedy  termination.  He  had  been  the  means  of  the  Lord  in 
effecting  wonderful  events  in  behalf  of  Israel,  and  by  rewards 
and  punishments,  both  actual  and  denounced,  he  had  taught  his 
brothers,  that  the  revelation  from  Sinai  could  not  be  trans- 
gressed without  bringing  punishment  upon  the  offender.  And 
now  at  the  close  almost  of  his  labours,  and  after  he  had  called 
t  to  the  mind  of  the  people  those  terrible  effects  of  disobedience 
of  which  all  his  hearers  had  been  witnesses,  he  spoke  as  fol- 
lows : 


'n  no    xw  rrnjn 

inx  i-on^Si  vs-n  ha  roSS  yrbx  'n  nx  ru 
horn  *\ah  Sm  ^n^N*  'n 

vnpn  n*o  'n  rnso  HN 


130  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

"  And  now,  Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to 
fear  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  love  Him,  and  to 
serve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul ;  to  keep 
the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  his  statutes  which  I  command  thee  this 
day,  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee  1"  Deut  xi.  12,  13. 

As  we  have  said,  for  forty  years  had  Moses  been  actively 
employed  in  teaching  the  people  of  Israel,  and  he  was  now  en- 
gaged in  summing  up,  to  use  a  common  phrase,  all  his  instruction 
in  a  few  comprehensive  sentences;  and  our  text  is  the  chief 
part  in  which  he  included  all  that  had  been  said  already,  and 
which  he  had  yet  to  tell.    He  therefore  commences  :  "  And  now. 
Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee?"  is  it  some- 
thing too  difficult  for  human  attainment?  is  it  a  task  for  which 
not  sufficient  strength  has  been  given  ?   By  no  means  ;  the  labour 
is  easy  of  fulfilment,  if  man  regards  correctly  his  relation  to  the 
Creator.  In  the  first  place,  the  thing  required  is, "  to  fear  the  Lord 
thy  God ;"  and  who  will  not  fear  Him  in  whose  hand  is  all  the 
power,  and  who  can  do  whatever  seems  to  Him  best,  without 
one  to  gainsay  his  will,  or  to  oppose  his  intentions  ?     He  is 
moreover,  our  God,  the  Being  who  has  promised  us  his  protec- 
tion in  case  we  obey  Him,  and  who  is  able  to  make  us  feel  the 
weight  of  our  iniquity  if  we  sin ;  but  which  latter  alternative  we 
can  avoid  if  we  "  walk  in  his  ways."     How  is  this  to  be  done  ? 
Aye,  to  imitate  Him  in  his  ways  of  mercy ;  to  be  kind  as  He  is 
kind ;  to  let  our  bounty  be  extended  according  to  our  means, 
just  as  He  provides  for  all  his  creatures ;  to  clothe  our  brother 
when  we  see  him  naked ;  to  give  him  food  when  we  see  him 
hungry ;  to  give  him  drink  when  he  is  thirsty ;  to  shelter  him 
when  he  is  houseless ;  to  protect  him,  when  he  needs  our  pro- 
tection ;  to  comfort  him  when  his  spirit  is  troubled ;  to  warn 
him  when  he  is  going  astray  from  the  ways  of  truth ;  to  rejoice 
in  his  prosperity,  and  to  sympathize  with  his  afflictions.     Far- 
ther it  is  said,  "  and  to  love  Him ;"  yes  we  are  to  love  our 
Benefactor  whose  goodness  is  always  extended  to  us,  who  ever 
watches  over  our  welfare,  who  provides  for  our  wants,  whose 
beneficence  supplies  us  with  all  we  need  from  our  entrance  into 
life  until  we  are  borne  off  to  the  grave,  whose  providence  assists 
us  in  joy  and  in  sorrow,  and  who  relinquishes  us  riot  even  then 
when  the  spirit  has  been  severed  from  the  body,  but  bestows  on 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  J3j 

us  a  life,  which  is  holier,  sweeter,  happier  than  the  existence  in 
this  mortal  state,  where  pain  and  pleasure  constantly  chase  each 
other  over  the  varied  surface  of  our  being.    Yes,  we  are  to  love 
Him,  who  is  holy,  pure,  wise,  good  and  bountiful  beyond  what 
our  most  excited  imagination  can  reach ;  we  the  humble  worms 
are  to  unite  ourselves  to  the  most  Exalted  by  the  bonds  of  love 
and  attachment !    Here  let  us  pause  a  moment ;  were  a  man  to 
utter  such  a  thought  we  might  justly  fear  that  he  presumptuously 
approached  too  .near  to  the  Deity;  but  here  Holy  "Writ  itself 
expressly  teaches  us  that  we  can  love  our  God,  that  we  can 
make  ourselves  worthy  of  his  love ;  that,  in  short,  obedience  will 
unite  the  creature  to  the  Creator,  and  that  virtuous  resolve  and 
virtuous  actions  will  render  us  children  of  salvation,  humble 
though  our  actions  be. — And  thus  continues  the  text,  "  and  to 
serve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul;" 
all  that  is  necessary  to  effect  this  is  to  surrender  our  judgment 
to  the  instruction  we  have  received,  not  to  hesitate  at  every 
point,  because  we  see  not  the  reasons  which  governed  infinite 
Wisdom  in  his  enactments;  but  they  who  fear  the  Lord,  who 
wish  to  walk  in  his  ways,  and  who  strive  to  love  Him,  should 
follow  the  road  He  has  marked  out  for  them  with  a  singleness 
of  heart  which  knows  no  rebellion,  and  with  a  devotedness  of 
soul  which  gladly  yields  itself  to  divine  guidance,. to  the  truth 
as  manifested  in  the  records  of  revelation.     If  thus  we  think  it 
will  be  easy  for  us  to  obey  the  next  condition,  which  is,  "  to 
keep  the  commands  of  the  Lord  and  his  statutes ;"  for  to  the 
humble  believer  there  is  nothing  unreasonable,  nothing  super- 
fluous in  the  law ;  he  will  apply  the  best  light  given  him  to  elu- 
cidate for  himself  and  others  the  reasons,  and  scope,  and  uses  of 
the  precepts,  and  where  his  reason  fails  to  carry  him  farther,  he 
will  prostrate  himself  before  his  God,  and  obey  submissively, 
knowing  that  nought  but  truth  and  wholesome  instruction  can 
proceed  from  the  Source  of  all  wisdom  and  knowledge  ;  he  will 
adore  the  Holiness  which  pervades  all,  and  will  never  rise  in 
judgment  against  Him  by  whose  sufferance  he  lives,  and  thinks. 
— But  if  we  ask :  "  What  is  the  aim  of  all  this  fear,  love,  and 
obedience  ?"  the  Scriptures  answer,  "  that  it  may  be  well  with 
thee ;"  the  Creator  needs  not  our  service  to  complete  his  happi- 
ness, nothing  that  we  can  accomplish  will  augment  or  diminish 


132  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

his  holiness,  purity,  wisdom,  or  power;  but  the  acts  we  do  will 
revert  to  ourselves,  that  we  may  become,  though  at  an  infinite 
degree  less  than  God,  holy,  pure,  and  wise,  and  become  armed 
with  faith  and  a  confiding  trust  in  Providence,  which  attainments 
will  open  for  us  the  portals  of  that  happiness  which  our  appoint- 
ment on  earth  is  capable  of  enjoying,  and  make  us  shine  like 
the  stars  unto  everlasting  when  our  task  is  ended. 

"  That  it  may  be  well  with  thee;"  yes  the  punishments  of  the 
law  also  are  for  the  promotion  of  happinesss  no  less  than  the 
rewards  and  blessings.  If  God  is  glorified  by  the  grace  which 
attends  the  life  of  the  righteous,  by  the  peace  which  illumines 
the  souls  of  his  servants:  He  is  likewise  honoured  by  the  equal 
measure  of  justice  which  reaches  the  transgressor,  by  the  dark- 
ness and  cloud  which  rest  upon  the  spirit  of  the  sinner.  So  also 
says  David  in  the  36th  Psalrn,  where  he  styles  himself  the  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord  (v.  10) :  "  For  with  Thee  is  the  fountain  of 
life,  in  thy  light  shall  we  see  light."  It  is  only  when  we  love, 
fear,  and  imitate  God,  that  the  fountain  of  life  can  be  opened  to 
us,  and  only  when  we  diligently  obey  the  commandments,  that 
we  can  see  the  heavenly  light  which  is  the  light  unto  everlast- 
ing salvation.  But  on  the  other  hand,  as  Solomon  says  in  Pro- 
verbs xi.  10:  "When  it  goeth  well  with  the  righteous  the  city 
rejoiceth ;  and  when  the  wicked  perish  there  is  shouting."  This 
means  that  the  joy  which  the  multitude  feel  when  the  true  friends 
of  mankind  flourish,  can  be  exceeded  only  by  the  exulting  con- 
viction of  an  overruling  Providence,  when  the  daring  sinners  at 
last  meet  with  the  judgment  they  have  so  long  braved,  as  though 
the  power  of  Heaven  were  too  limited,  or  his  watchfulness  too 
slothful  to  reach  them>  and  to  put  a  period  to  their  misdeeds. 
And  when  these  do  fall,  when  the  prosperity  on  which  they  so 
much  relied  is  taken  from  them,  where  is  their  light?  The  only 
hope  they  might  have  had,  the  beam  of  celestial  comfort  which 
they  might  have  enjoyed,  they  have  blindly  rejected,  and  they 
therefore  find  themselves  in  the  situation  of  a  disobedient  son 
who  has  been  expelled  from  the  mansion  of  his  father  for  re- 
peated acts  of  rebellion. — But  yet  even  the  sinner  is  a  son  of 
Israel,  he  is  not  wholly  rejected,  altho'  he  has  transgressed ;  to 
him  too  the  Scriptures  speak  in  words  of  love :  "  And  now, 
Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  fear 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  133 

the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways  and  to  love  Him." 
No  being,  that  ever  was  created,  is  excluded  from  the  call  to 
conversion,  from  the  hope  of  salvation.  The  prize  to  be  con- 
tended for  is  open  to  all;  the  only  way  unto  happiness  is  obedi- 
ence; continued  obedience  if  we  are  on  the  road  of  righteous- 
ness, and  renewed  obedience,  if  we  have  deviated  unto  the 
mazes  of  sin.  The  light  may  be  obscured,  a  vail  may  hide  the 
face  of  the  sanctuary;  but  the  Holy  Spirit  appeals  to  us  to  fear 
and  to  love  God,  and  to  trust  in  the  righteousness  of  his  com- 
mandments, and  to  acquiesce  in  the  justice  of  chastisements,  be 
they  an  immediate  infliction  from  Heaven,  or  through  the  deci- 
sion of  an  earthly  tribunal,  even  if  this  be  an  ignominious  death 
for  the  wrongs  with  which  we  have  loaded  our  conscience: 
and  if  we  do  so,  then  will  the  light  shine  upon  us  also  though 
the  moment  be  the  moment  of  our  death ;  and  the  vail  will  be 
rent  which  has  excluded  from  our  eyes  the  face  of  the  holiness 
of  God,  into  whose  presence  an  entire  surrendering  of  spirit  will 
lead  us,  to  everlasting  joy,  to  unending  happiness. 

This  is  the  scheme  of  the  Mosaic  Dispensation,  this  is  the 
doctrine  which  Heaven  himself  has  taught  us  of  his  ways  and 
his  goodness ;  and  by  following  its  dictates  in  the  spirit  of  hu- 
mility and  devotion  we  all  may  have  the  satisfaction  to  know, 
that  under  the  guidance  of  divine  grace  we  may  live  to  work 
out  our  own  salvation,  each  one  for  himself,  but  not  through 
the  means  of  a  mediator,  an  idea  which  our  religion  rejects. 
No,  brethren !  the  law  was  given  unto  us,  the  people  of  Israel, 
to  be  ours,  to  be  our  birthright,  all  the  day's  of  our  existence ;  it 
is  the  road  to  happiness,  by  following  which  we  are  pursuing 
life,  a  life  of  tranquillity  of  conscience  when  mortal,  a  life  of 
unclouded  joy  when  we  have  entered  the  mansion  of  our  Father, 
purified  by  the  pangs  of  death.  Nowhere  is  it  said  that  any 
other  method  exists,  nowhere  is  any  other  condition  required ; 
obedience  to  God's  will  is  the  only  demand ;  but  this  require- 
ment must  be  implicitly  followed ;  no  deviating  to  the  right  or 
the  left,  no  swerving  into  by-paths  either  from  fear  of  loss,  or 
a  desire  to  gain  the  pleasures  of  a  transient  life,  or  to  aggran- 
dize ourselves  at  the  expense  of  the  law,  must  we  permit  our- 
selves, if  we  wish  to  become  true  servants  of  the  Lord  of  the 
universe.  Guard  therefore  your  innocence,  keep  a  strict  watch 

VOL.  in. — 12 


134  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

over  all  your  doings,  and  weigh  well  every  deed,  whether  or 
not  it  be  in  accordance  with  the  scale  of  the  way  of  godliness 
pointed  out  by  our  text. — And  thbu  youth  !  who  standest  at  the 
entrance  of  life,  be  not  lured  away  by  idle  pleasure ;  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  syren  sounds  that  would  draw  thee  in  the  whirl- 
pool of  dissipation ;  a  thousand  lights  will  dazzle  thy  eye,  a 
thousand  charms  will  obscure  thy  vision ;  but  only  be  firm,  turn 
thy  gaze  unto  the  holy  Word,  drink  deep  of  the  waters  that  thence 
gush  to  quicken  thy  flagging  spirit ;  and  though  the  struggle  will 
be  severe,  yet  it  will  be  shorter  than  thou  weanest,  and  when 
the  tumult  of  passion  is  hushed,  thou  wilt  bless  the  hour  that 
thou  vovvedst  to  be  a  firm  adherent  to  the  Lord  thy  God. — 
Maiden  !  whom  a  flattering  world  calls  beautiful  and  gay,  listen 
not  to  those  who  would  undermine  in  thee  the  principles  instilled 
by  thy  parents ;  heed  not  those  who  would  rob  thee  of  the  price- 
less jewel,  the  love  of  thy  holy  faith.  What  are  the  earthly 
baubles  which  deck  thy  dazzling  brow  ?  what  are  the  costly 
garments  which  envelope  thy  lovely  form  1  but  perishing  trinkets, 
fading  colours,  which  ere  an  hour  has  elapsed  may  for  ever  be 
snatched  from  thy  longing  sight.  But  the  ornament  which  a 
holy  life  casts  round  the  lovely  virgin,  the  grace  which  charity 
and  benevolence  spread  over  the  lowly  maiden,  lowly  because 
walking  in  humility  before  God — how  unending,  how  unfading, 
how  imperishable  are  they !  In  the  highest  old  age  their  flowers 
are  yet  blooming,  their  green  ever  fresh  even  at  the  border  of 
the  grave.  Seize,  therefore,  O  daughter  of  Israel !  the  book  of 
life  in  thy  earliest  youth,  and  let  its  pages  guide  thee,  shield 
thee,  comfort  thee,  in  all  thy  ways,  whether  joy  spreads  her 
soothing  pinions  over  thee,  or  sorrow  steals  with  deadening 
weight  over  thy  troubled  soul;  and  knowthat  female  loveliness 
is  heightened,  the  woman's  sweetness  increased  a  thousand-fold 
by  the  summit  of  perfection  pointed  out  to  us,  the  love  and  fear 
of  God. — And  you,  who  are  fathers  and  mothers  in  the  house 
of  Jacob !  would  you  secure  your  own  and  your  children's  true 
happiness?  then  apply  yourselves  to  search  for  truth,  where 
truth  alone  is  found.  Human  wisdom,  human  experience  may 
deceive  and  mislead  you ;  but  guided  by  God's  own  holy  law 
you  cannot  go  astray ;  its  precepts  lead  onward  to  perfection, 
its  doctrines  are  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  are  ever  in 


THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW.  135 

your  reach,  though  the  entrance  of  paradise  is  barred  by  the 
revolving  sword  of  the  guarding  Cherubim ;  yes,  the  entrance 
to  happiness  is  closed  to  the  sinner,  to  him  who  neglects  to 
obey  the  precepts  of  our  Father ;  but  to  those  who  seize  hold 
of  them  they  are  the  tree  of  life,  and  the  shining  blade  of  the 
sword,  which  is  destruction  to  others,  becomes  to  them  a  true, 
unerring  light  to  salvation  !  Be  it  therefore  your  endeavour  to 
go  before  your  children  with  a  holy  example  of  righteous  deeds  ; 
let  no  occasion  pass  without  reminding  them  of  the  duty  they 
owe  to  God ;  let  no  day  elapse  that  you  do  not  assist  them  by 
your  precept  and  example  to  fly  for  support  to  the  words  of  the 
Bible ;  and  let  no  moment  pass  over  you  when  they  might  see 
that  you,  their  earthly  parents,  honour  not  your  Father  who  is 
in  heaven.  On  the  contrary,  let  it  be  your  first  aim  to  give 
your  children  a  thorough  religious  education  above  and  before 
all  sciences;  do  every  thing  to  make  them  acquainted  with 
their  duties  as  Israelites ;  warn  them  early  of  the  dangers  to 
their  moral  peace  which  they  will  have  to  encounter  in  their 
earthly  pilgrimage  ;  show  them  by  your  example  that  you  are 
earnest  in  what  you  teach,  in  what  you  demand  of  them ;  in 
short,  teach  them  to  be  true  sons  of  Israel,  and  be  yourselves 
their  spiritual  light  by  your  own  conduct  in  every  stage  of  life. 
If  this  be  your  course,  how  lovely  will  your  offspring  grow  up 
around  you,  obedient,  docile,  pious,  beloved  of  men,  favoured 
by  God ;  and  when  your  strength  fails,  when  old  age  creeps 
over  your  weakened  limbs,  when  the  gray  hairs  encircle  your 
venerable  heads,  they  will  tend  upon  and  reverence  you,  their 
pious  progenitors,  to  be  in  their  turn  blessed  as  becomes  those 
who  acted  well  their  part. — It  is  thus  in  your  power,  O  sons 
and  daughters  of  Israel !  to  become  children  of  salvation ;  be  it 
yours  to  rush  forward  to  this  desirable  goal,  to  be  there  re- 
ceived, purified  through  fear  and  love  of  God  and  obedience  to 
his  will,  in  the  embrace  of  your  everlasting  Father  as  children 
of  faith  and  salvation  ! 

Father  of  all !  look  down  we  beseech  Thee,  from  thy  high 
abode  upon  us  thy  children,  whom  Thou  didst  call  Israel  and 
Jeshurun,  and  let  the  light  of  thy  countenance  shine  unto  us,  as 
Thou  didst  unto  our  forefathers.  O  forget  us  not  in  our  capti- 
vity, forsake  us  not  in  our  dispersion ;  but  let  thy  spirit  and  thy 


130  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

light  guide  us  rightly,  so  that  we  may  discern  what  is  thy  will, 
and  follow  thy  precepts  all  the  days  of  our  life.  Bless  all  thy 
children  wherever  they  are ;  and  them  who  languish  under  the 
rod  of  oppression,  do  Thou  speedily  save  by  thy  mighty  power, 
open  for  them  the  doors  of  their  gloomy  prison,  and  break  the 
arm  of  him  who  has  lifted  up  the  sword  against  those  who  have 
done  no  evil. — Be  it  also  thy  will .  to  bless  this  congregation,  to 
unite  them  in  love  and  friendship  unto  each  other  and  all  Israel 
their  brethren,  to  banish  from  them  hatred,  malevolence  and 
envy ;  and  to  shed  upon  thy  servant*  whom  they  have  chosen 
to  appeal  unto  Thee  in  their  behalf,  eloquence  of  speech  and  a 
true  knowledge  of  thy  ways,  so  that  he  may  teach  thy  flock, 
and  his  words  sink  deep  into  their  hearts ;  in  order  that  it  may 
be  well  with  them  and  with  their  children  after  them. — And 
upon  all  our  brethren  who  dwell  in  this  city,  in  this  land  and  in 
all  the  world,  shower  thy  manifold  goodness,  and  cause  thy 
words  to  be  sweet  unto  them,  and  unto  him  also  whom  thy 
grace  has  called  to  speak  of  thy  greatness;  and  grant  that 
through  us  thy  holy  name  may  be  glorified  now,  and  when 
thy  anointed  David  shall  rule  in  thy  name,  and  when  the  dead 
shall  be  awakened  to  everlasting  life.  Amen. 

ElulGth  ic-fiM 
Sept.  4th  {  * 

*  NOTE. — This  Discourse  was  delivered  on  Sabbath  Elul  7th  at  the  Syna- 
gogue Benai  Yeshurun  at  New  York,  over  which  the  Rev.  Samuel  M. 
Isaacs  was  last  year  elected  minister. — The  next  following  Discourse  was 
delivered  in  the  Synagogue  Sheerith  Israel  in  the  same  city  on  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath. 


137 


DISCOURSE  XII. 

THE     DUTY     OF     CONTENTMENT. 

UNTO  Thee,  O  God !  who  art  good  to  all,  and  whose  mer- 
cies are  over  all  thy  works,  do  we  pray,  to  be  with  us  in  all 
our  doings,  to  be  our  support  at  each  and  every  period  of  our 
life,  in  order  that  we  may  not  stumble,  nor  be  made  ashamed 
unto  everlasting.  Be  with  us  in  our  waking  hours,  guard  us 
when  we  sleep,  and  support  us  with  the  mighty  hand  of  thy 
salvation  at  our  awakening  in  yonder  life  of  blissfulness  which 
Thou  hast  treasured  up  for  those  who  fear  Thee  and  love  thy 
commandment.  Amen. 

BRETHREN ! 

Glorify  the  Lord  your  God,  ye  of  the  seed  of  Israel !  for  his 
goodness  which  has  been  extended  to  you  amidst  all  the  trials 
to  which  you  have  been  subjected.  From  the  infancy  of  your 
nation  up  to  the  present  moment,  it  has  been  your  blessed  lot 
to  receive  protection  in  every  afflicting  event  which  befel  you, 
and  never  can  it  be  said  that  divine  assistance  was  withheld 
to  shield  the  remnant  of  the  descendants  of  the  Patriarchs.  And 
you  have  been  taught,  that  in  national  no  less  than  individual 
concerns  it  is  no  matter  what  man  may  do,  no  matter  what  the 
intentions  of  the  wicked  may  be  ;  for  it  is  at  the  last  the  provi- 
dence of  God  which  watches,  controls,  and  directs  for  a  wise 
and  benevolent  purpose  all  the  affairs  of  mankind,  and  out  of 
every  evil  He  may  and  does  cause  good  to  spring  up,  even  if 
the  eyes  of  those  who  witness  the  event  do  not  live  to  see  the 
ultimate  benefit  which  is  destined  thence  to  arise.  Who,  there- 
fore, can  doubt  of  the  mercy  of  his  God,  because  he  is  sorrow- 
ing ?  who  will  dare  to  impugn  the  justice  of  the  Creator, 
because  he  beholds  those,  whom  he  deems  evil  and  wicked, 
flourishing  for  a  while  like  the  grass  of  the  field  ?  Says  the 
doubter  :  "  I  am  told  God  is  just,  merciful,  and  beneficent;  and 

12* 


138  THK  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

I  who  am  pious,  upright,  loving  God  and  man,  am  suffering  the 
pangs  of  sickness,  the  pressure  of  poverty,  the  loss  of  friends 
dear  to  my  heart ;  there  is  no  justice  in  this."     But  is  not  this 
in  itself  sinning,  rebelling  against  the  majesty  of  God  ?  who  art 
thou,  worm  of  the  earth,  that  darest  to  criticise  thy  Maker's 
goodness,  to  doubt  of  his  justice,  to  accuse  his  mercy  ?     Thou 
sayest  that  thou  art  suffering  the  pangs  of  sickness,  and  that 
thy  exertions  in  the  service  of  God,  thy  devotion  to  the  good  of 
mankind  should  insure  thee  a  continuous  state  of  health  and 
capacity  to  labour.     In  other  words,  thou  deemest  thyself  en- 
titled by  a  prescriptive  right  to  a  high  reward  because  of  thy 
virtue ;  thou  renderest  thyself  acceptable  to  God  and  deserving 
of  his  blessing ;  and  thou  imaginest  that  thou  art  injured  if  any 
interruption  be  given  to  thy  labour. — But  say,  son  of  the  earth, 
is  all  thy  striving  solely  for  the  glory  of  God  ?  does  not  some 
part  of  self-aggrandizement  mingle  itself  in  thy  labours  of  love  ? 
Hast  thou  never  boasted  inwardly  of  thy  great  powers  of  mind, 
of  thy  great  capacity  for  magnificent  schemes  ?  has  humility 
always  dwelt  in  thy  soul,  when  thou  didst  step  forward  to  fulfil 
the  duties  demanded  of  thee  ?  has  not  contempt  for  thy  fellow- 
beings  often  obtruded  itself  at  the  very  time  thou  wast  engaged 
in  serving  them  1    In  other  words,  was  not  thy  virtue  often  sin- 
ful in  part,  though  the  outward  appearance  betokened  naught 
but  righteousness  ?    Yet  even  the  most  righteous  man  that  ever 
lived  has  sinned  in  this  way,  and  therefore  no  one  can  say  that 
he  has  not  incurred  the  just  censure  of  his  Creator ;  and  the 
afflictions  of  the  body  will  thus  tell  thee,  O  mortal  man !  that 
thou  art  far  from  perfection,  just  as  thy  mortal  frame  is  not 
exempt  from  disease  and  pain  ;  and  that,  if  thou  wishest  to  be 
accepted  from  on  high,  thou  must  needs  purify  thy  heart,  and 
remove  thence  all  vain  desires  and  presumptuous  boasting,  and 
learn  that  no  act  will  render  thee  worthy  of  divine  favour, 
unless  it  proceed  entirely  from  a  pure  devotional  spirit,  from  an 
entire  surrendering  of  thy  will  to  the  guidance  of  God. — And 
if  the  want  of  strength  interrupt  thee  in  thy  undertaking,  reflect, 
that  in  this  visitation  too  the  finger  of  Goodness  is  seen,  to 
recall  thee  to  thyself,  and  to  check  the  vain-gloriousness  of 
human  pride,  which  supposes  itself  necessary  almost  to  carry 
out  the  benevolent  purposes  of  the  Creator,  who  surely  is  able 


THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT.  139 

to  raise  up  other  agents  besides  thee  to  effect  his  will ;  for  His 
are  all  the  earth  and  its  fulness,  and  every  being  that  exists  has 
received  from  Him  a  task  which  it  becomes  him  to  execute, 
and  it  was  never  intended  that  a  few  greatly  gifted  should 
monopolize  all  the  deeds  of  mercy  to  which  all  mankind  should 
contribute.  If  therefore  thou  findest  that  thy  strength  fails  thee, 
search  deeply  into  thy  own  conduct ;  accuse  thyself  of  wrong 
where  thou  discoverest  that  thou  hast  erred,  and  amend  thy 
ways  that  thou  mayest  deserve  mercy ;  who  knows  ?  but  the 
Lord  may  remove  the  evil  from  thee,  and  send  healing  unto 
thy  diseased  limbs,  and  restore  thy  strength  as  aforetimes.  Nay, 
if  even  thou  canst  not  discover  any  thing  sinful  in  thy  doings 
(which  in  itself  is  almost  impossible  to  suppose)  :  then  too  sub- 
mit to  the  chastisement  in  meekness,  and  strive  to  glorify  thy 
Maker  from  the  midst  of  pain  and  anguish,  and  prove  that  it  is 
not  the  mere  love  of  reward  which  stimulated  thy  exertions, 
that  not  merely  the  desire  to  appear  great  before  man  nerved 
thy  arm,  and  roused  thy  soul ;  but  that  it  was  the  love  and  fear 
of  God  which  prompted  thee  to  serve  Him  and  to  imitate  Him 
in  his  deeds  of  mercy ;  and  know  that  it  is  by  sorrows  alone 
that  the  truly  righteous  can  be  probed,  and  be  exalted  above 
those  whose  service  is  not  sincere,  whose  worship  is  not  seated 
deep  in  the  soul ;  and  that  he  who  is  convinced  of  the  righteous- 
ness of  God  will  say  with  David  :*  "  Though  I  walk  in  the 
midst  of  trouble  Thou  wilt  revive  me ;  Thou  wilt  stretch  forth 
thy  hand  against  the  wrath  of  my  enemies,  and  thy  right  hand 
will  save  me." 

Or  thou  sayest :  "  I  suffer  the  pressure  of  poverty  !"  Yes, 
thou  seest  worldly  prosperity  scattered  with  a  liberal  hand 
among  thy  neighbours ;  thou  art  envious  of  their  possessions, 
thou  imaginest  thyself  entitled,  because  of  thy  piety,  to  an  equal 
if  not  to  a  greater  share  of  success,  and  thou  imaginest  thyself 
forgotten  by  God,  because  He  assigns  to  thee  a  daily  task  to 
obtain  thy  bread  by  the  labour  of  thy  hands. — Let  us  plead 
with  thee.  Thou  art  envious  because  others  are  rich  !  Is  this 
becoming  one  who  calls  himself  a  servant  of  God  ?  wilt  thou 
dictate  to  Him  whom  he  shall  bless,  to  whom  He  shall  be  gra- 

*  Psalm  cxxxviii.  7. 


140  THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

cious  ?  Thou  sayest,  "  They  are  wicked,  whereas  I  am  right- 
eous." But  knovvest  thou  correctly  how  far  their  wickedness 
extends  ?  hast  thou  the  gift  to  search  into  the  recesses  of  con- 
science, and  lay  open  to  the  light  of  day  what  passes  in  the 
mine  of  thought,  the  human  soul  ?  Knowest  thou  the  private 
deeds  of  charity  which  the  apparently  wicked  exercise?  or 
admit  that  they  do  no  deed  of  mercy,  (which  again  is  almost 
impossible,  for  no  man  is  altogether  lost  to  virtue) :  still  canst 
thou  tell  that  the  hoard  of  wealth  which  thou  believest  unwor- 
thily bestowed  may  not  be  destined  to  fall  into  hands  which  will 
scatter  bounties,  and  effect  charities  which  thou  dreamest  not 
of?  Or  perhaps  mightest  thou  not  become  forgetful  of  thy 
duties,  were  wealth  to  smile  upon  thee,  were  thy  coffers  to  be 
filled  with  gold  1  for  alas  !  the  example  is  not  rare,  where  those 
who  once  were  apparently  pious,  whilst  the  world  was  un- 
friendly to  them,  became  suddenly  animated  by  a  new  spirit 
when  they  had  obtained  riches  and  when  prosperity  flowed  in 
upon  them. — Just  as  was  the  case  and  is  to  this  day  with  Israel 
as  a  nation.  What  a  glorious  spectacle  did  we  exhibit  during 
ages  of  oppression  !  for  when  all  mankind  colleagued  together, 
as  it  were,  to  compel  us  to  forswear  our  hope  of  salvation 
through  the  blessed  Only  One  who  lives  for  eternity,  when 
nearly  in  every  place  upon  the  whole  face  of  the  earth  we  were 
trodden  upon,  trampled  under  foot,  because  we  would  not  bow 
down  to  the  idols  or  acknowledge  the  false  worship  of  the  gen- 
tiles ;  when  the  root  of  the  tree  of  our  faith  was  abundantly 
bathed  in  blood  and  its  branches  abundantly  watered  with  our 
tears  :  how  nobly  did  we  endure  all,  in  love,  humility  and  sub- 
mission, because  we  trusted  in  the  Lord  our  Saviour,  and  con- 
fided in  his  power.  The  louder  the  storm  grew,  the  more 
upraised  became  our  prayer;  the  darker  gathered  the  clouds, 
the  more  gloomy  sunk  the  darkness — the  brighter  shone  the 
light  of  our  faith,  the  holier  beamed  the  faithfulness  with  which 
we  clung  to  our  God  ! — But  the  times  changed.  The  gentile 
world  had  learned  to  admire  Israel's  constancy,  to  understand 
better  the  beauty  of  the  system  which  is  the  rule  of  our  life. 
The  weight  of  oppression  was  lifted  in  many  a  land,  in  others 
we  were  declared  equal  to  the  other  inhabitants ;  and  we  re- 
garded the  time  as  a  season  of  the  jubilee,  we  believed  that  now 


THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT.  141 

the  bondmen  should  go  free,  and  no  more  be  heard  the  task- 
master's voice.  And  how  did  we  repay  the  act  of  grace  which 
our  God  had  vouchsafed  to  us  ?  I  say,  "  our  God,"  because 
is  it  not  He  who  inspires  with  mercy  the  heart  of  him  who  feels 
no  pity,  and  softens  the  wrath  of  the  tyrant,  as  Solomon  says  : 
"  The  king's  heart  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  as  the  rivers  of 
water,  He  turneth  it  whithersoever  He  will?"  (Prov.  xxi.  1.) 
— Say.  how  did  we  act  when  we  found  that  enlargement  had 
been  extended  to  us  ?  Alas !  that  truth  should  compel  us  to 
answer,  ungratefully,  unworthily,  unwisely  !  Ungratefully,  be- 
cause instead  of  obeying  more  ardently  the  will  of  God,  we 
went  astray  upon  the  paths  of  perdition  ;  we  neglected  the  com- 
mandments, we  forsook  the  road  of  life ;  and  we  hewed  out 
unto  ourselves  new  cisterns,  and  filled  them  not  with  waters 
drawn  from  the  fountain  whence  flows  the  stream  that  refreshes 
unto  salvation,  but  with  the  deceitful  waters  of  bitterness  which, 
though  sweet  to  the  taste  of  the  thoughtless,  are  yet  in  their  end 
death  and  destruction. .  And  how  many  are  there  who  have 
rebelled  against  the  Lord  !  do  not  our  eyes  behold  the  melan- 
choly fact  that  religion  lies  neglected,  that  its  teachers  are  un- 
honoured,  and  worldly  wisdom  more  prized  than  its  doctrines, 
worldly  greatness  more  sought  than  the  riches  of  the  soul  to  be 
obtained  by  the  observance  of  the  duties  it  enjoins  ? — Unwor- 
thily, I  said  ;  for  what  can  be  more  unworthy  than  disobedience 
and  ingratitude  1  Were  a  man  to  present  me  with  a  thing  I 
ardently  desire,  what  would  he,  what  would  you  all  expect 
from  me  1  but  that  I  should  not  return  evil  for  good,  and  that, 
on  the  contrary,  I  should  demonstrate  my  gratefulness  by  doing 
every  thing  to  please  him.  But  we,  unworthy  sons  of  Israel, 
did  not  so  regard  our  obligation  to  God !  our  shameful  in- 
gratitude caused  us  to  ascribe  our  safety  to  the  change  of  the 
times,  to  the  prevalence  of  a  more  enlightened  spirit;  and  con- 
sequently we  proved  that  we  had  not  been  deserving  of  the 
mercy  we  had  received.  For  in  place  of  duty  there  is  diso- 
bedience ;  in  place  of  religion  there  is  apostacy ;  in  place  of 
union  there  is  dissension ;  in  place  of  the  fear  of  God  there  is 
dread  of  worldly  loss ;  in  place  of  the  love  of  our  Maker  there 
is  such  a  love  of  public  preferment  and  the  amassing  of  wealth 
as  well  nigh  threatens  to  drown  every  feeling  of  religion  which 


142  THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

has  yet  escaped  in  the  confusion  and  bustle  of  modern  times. 
But  does  it  not  strike  you  that  this  procedure  is  not  consonant 
with  reason,  that  we  are  acting  unwisely  1  Let  us  again  ask, 
Who  gave  us  enlargement  1  and  is  He  who  gave  it  not  able 
to  dispense  unto  us  new  afflictions  1  In  former  ages  we  have 
seen  how  the  wicked,  who  deemed  themselves  secure  against 
the  visitation  denounced  by  the  prophets,  were  overwhelmed 
when  the  time  of  wrath  came,  and  how  the  destruction  of  the 
temple,  the  slaughter  of  millions,  the  dismemberment  of  Israel's 
kingdom  but  too  clearly  evidenced  that  the  Lord  had  felt  dis- 
gust toward  the  sinning  race,  and  had  determined  to  cast  them 
,  oft'  because  of  their  transgression.  And  now  we  deem  that  his 
arrows  are  all  expended  ?  that  age  has  weakened  his  power  ? 
that  no  farther  will  He  watch  our  conduct?  He,  who  be- 
stoweth  power  on  all  that  has  being ;  in  whose  hands  are  the 
destinies  of  all  his  creatures  ;  whom  no  labour  fatigues,  whom 
no  length  of  years  weaken  !  And  lo !  in  the  distance  the  thun- 
der mutters  !  rumours  of  afflictions  have  reached  our  ears  from 
afar  !  Israel  is  again  threatened  with  danger  ;  again  the  per- 
secutor has  dared  to  accuse  us  of  crimes  we  thought  not  of; 
all,  all,  because  we  have  sinned.  It  is  possible  that  they  who 
are  the  objects  of  the  persecution  may  not  be  as  guilty  them- 
selves as  we  are,  who  are  here  assembled ;  but  nevertheless 
we  may  freely  say,  as  was  said  in  the  days  of  Joshua,  that 
"  Israel  hath  sinned,  and  they  have  also  transgressed  the  cove- 
nant which  God  commanded  them,  that  they  have  taken  of 
the  accursed  thing,  have  also  stolen,  and  dissembled  also,  and 
therefore  the  children  of  Israel  could  not  stand  before  their 
enemies."  We  may  accordingly  aver  that  for  the  sins  of  the 
general  mass,  and  doubtlessly  to  awaken  our  attention,  has 
the  enemy  been  permitted  to  prevail  for  a  while  against  our 
brothers  in  a  far-off  land,  in  order  to  admonish  us  to  beware 
of  the  wrath  that  is  impending,  and  to  flee  from  the  danger 
which  may  reach  us  too,  secure  though  we  may  believe  our- 
selves, because  protected  by  the  arm  of  laws  which  consider 
all  men  equal.  Yet  are  there  no  other  terrors  than  civil  per- 
secutions ?  is  there  not  disease  with  its  gnawing  pain,  is  there 
not  poverty  which  falls  like  a  blight  upon  the  labours  of  our 
hands  ?  is  there  not  the  spirit  of  melancholy  which  deadens  the 


THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT.  143 

faculties  of  the  brightest  mind  ? — But  amidst  all  the  evil  we  have 
cause  to  rejoice  in  this,  that  one  of  the  effects  we  have  men- 
tioned, that  of  awakening  our  attention,  has  already  been  hap- 
pily accomplished.  From  one  end  of  the  civilized  world  to  the 
other  a  simultaneous  burst  of  sympathy  has  arisen  from  all  the 
sons  of  Jacob  in  behalf  of  their  persecuted  brethren ;  all  have 
been  taught  to  feel  that,  every  blow  struck  at  the  victims  of 
tyranny  was  a  blow  struck  against  the  happiness  of  the  entire 
Jewish  people,  that  every  cry  uttered  by  those  under  torture 
was  a  cry  which  called  a  shudder  over  every  one  known  by 
the  name  of  Israel !  We  have  been  made  conscious  that  we  are 
brothers,  though  separated  by  distance,  by  climates,  and  dif- 
ference of  government ;  that  we  are  one  people,  although  scat- 
tered over  every  land !  O !  that  the  other  object  we  have 
alluded  to  might  also  be  accomplished  ;  that  we  all  might,  being 
awakened  by  the  sufferings  of  our  brothers  to  reflect  on  our 
conduct,  take  it  to  heart  and  firmly  resolve  to  return  unto  the 
fold  of  the  Lord,  to  again  submit  ourselves  to  his  guidance,  and 
that  "  His  rod  and  his  staff  might  comfort  us ;"  that  corrected 
by  his  paternal  chastisement  we  might  forsake  the  evil  of  our 
ways,  and  receive  consolation  in  the  outpouring  of  good  over 
all  Israel,  and  again  lean  on  his  staff  of  righteousness  for  sup- 
port and  assistance !  For  then  we  should  again  be  sons  of 
Israel  in  truth  and  sincerity,  and  be  children  of  salvation  ;  inas- . 
much  as  then  we  would  not  have  despised  the  chastisement  of 
the  Lord,  but  been  made  whole  through  his  instruction  and 
warning. 

It  was  always  thus  with  our  people  as  a  nation  and  ourselves 
as  individuals.  Prosperity  spoiled  us,  but  adversity  uniformly 
taught  us  better  things.  It  was  said  by  the  wise  men  of  old  : 
"  An  humble  state  is  well-becoming  unto  Israel ;"  and  is  it  not 
so  with  most  individual  members  of  mankind?  does  not  the 
hurry  and  application  to  business  withdraw  us  from  the  service 
of  the  God  of  all  ?  Are  we  not.  apt  to  attend  to  the  details  of  our 
worldly  concerns,  and  forget  that  our  soul  too  has  claims  upon  our 
time  and  attention? — Why  then,  sinful  man!  wilt  thou  accuse 
thy  Creator  of  injustice  because  wealth  is  not  granted  to  thee  ? 
why  wilt  thou  look  with  envious  eye  upon  thy  neighbour's 
flocks  because  they  are  many,  and  upon  his  fields  because  they 


144  THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

are  extensive '(  Behold,  thou  in  the  humble  state  art  not  with- 
out blessings.  Thy  daily  toil  provides  thee  with  food ;  the  in- 
dustry of  thy  hands  suffices  to  clothe  thee  in  decent  raiment; 
rest  is  sweet  to  thee  when  thy  labour  is  ended  for  the  night ; 
thy  mind  is  refreshed  by  the  exertions  thou  hast  made;  not 
heavy  hangs  on  thy  hands  the  time  that  to  the  indolent  child  of 
wealth  seems  never  ending ;  and  when  the  holy  Sabbath  comes 
in  its  rounds  to  again  bless  the  earth,  how  heartfelt  will  be 
thy  thankfulness  that  a  day  has  been  assigned  thee  to  enjoy 
religious  repose  in  the  bosom  of  thy  own  household ;  and  that, 
if  thou  art  able  to  teach,  thou  canst  tell  thy  brothers  of  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  and  of  his  great  goodness  to  his  people  Israel, 
and  of  the  wonders  He  has  wrought  in  their  behalf;  and  if  thou 
art  one  of  the  many  to  whom  no  such  power  has  been  given, 
that  thou  canst  go  and  seek  instruction  in  the  ways  of  thy 
Maker,  and  learn  to  do  his  will  even  as  commanded  in  the  law 
which  He  gave  as  an  inheritance  to  the  congregation  of  Jacob. 
— Know  also  that  with  the  possession  of  wealth  not  every  plea- 
sure has  been  obtained,  and  that  a  wise  Providence  has  assigned 
to  the  poor  enjoyments  which  the  rich  often  sigh  for  in  vain : 
and  thou  wilt  be  ashamed,  that  thou  daredst  to  question  an  all- 
seeing  Goodness,  for  having  appointed  unto  thee  a  lot  of  labour, 
whilst  to  thy  neighbour  his  wealth  is  perhaps  a  burden,  and  im- 
poses upon  him  an  involuntary  state  of  ease  and  indolence. 

Or  thou  arraignest  the  justice  of  God  for  having  withdrawn 
from  thee  those  whom  thou  lovest.  Short-sighted  doubter !  are 
thy  friends  immortal?  art  thou  thyself  imperishable?  Perhaps  thy 
hopes  were  too  strongly  placed  upon  a  beloved  child — perhaps 
thou  dotedst  upon  a  lovely  wife — and  didst  forget  in  thy  exulta- 
tion that  they  live  through  God  alone,  and  it  may  be  that  in  thy 
prosperity  thou  didst  not  call  on  Him,  and  prepare  thyself  for 
the  change  that  was  impending.  And  now  the  doom  has  come, 
they,  the  dear  to  thy  heart,  lie  dead  before  thee ;  soon  the  earth 
is  to  close  over  them ;  they  are  borne  away  to  the  home  of  all 
the  living,  and  thou  art  left  alone  to  feel  thy  bereavement.  But 
O,  accuse  not  thy  God !  He  is  just  even  in  his  judgment,  there 
is  no  evil,  no  unrighteousness  in  Him  ;  He  has  struck  the  wound, 
but  can  He  not  heal  ?  thou  art  mourning,  but  are  not  thy  friends 
at  rest  ?  thou  art  alone,  but  are  not  the  departed  with  their, 


THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT.  145 

with  thy  God?  A  space  will  elapse,  and  them  art  removed, 
and  over  thee  too  the  clod  of  the  valley  will  be  heaped,  and  thy 
memory  alone  will  live  after  thy  form  has  been  laid  in  the  dust; 
and  long  ere  that,  they,  whom  thou  now  seest  rejoicing  in  their 
wickedness,  who  are  surrounded  by  gladsome  groups  of  healthy 
children,  whose  life  seems  blest  by  the  love  of  friends,  the  ties 
of  spouse  and  kindred,  will  perhaps  have  perished  as  perish  the 
beasts  of  the  field,  and  their  name  been  left  a  curse  and  a  by- 
word, after  their  evil  deeds  have  been  exposed  to  the  light  of 
day ! — Ay,  thou  seest  not  the  connection  of  things,  thou  dis- 
coverest  not  the  end  of  events  at  their  commencement ;  but  art 
thou  like  unto  God  1  will  thou  measure  his  foresight  by  thine '( 
his  justice  by  thy  fancies?  Be  then  silent  before  Him,  be 
humble  in  his  presence  ;  and  where  thou  dost  not  discover  the 
whole  scope  of  an  event,  learn  to  submit  with  humility,  to  suffer 
with  resignation.  Thou  now  mournest  thy  child  who  departed 
in  innocence ;  perhaps  had  he  lived  thy  indulgent  folly,  thy  pa- 
rental weakness,  might  have  opened  for  him  a  path  of  wicked- 
ness, and  covered  thy  head  with  disgrace ;  or  thy  wife,  weak- 
ened by  sickness,  might  have  dragged  on  a  miserable  existence, 
a  burden  to  herself  and  others ;  is  it  not  better  that  she  was 
taken  whilst  her  cup  of  life  was  overflowing  with  blessings, 
before  yet  she  had  to  drink  deep  out  of  the  cup  of  affliction 
which  others  have  to  drain  ? — Mourn  then,  stricken  one,  feel 
the  weight  of  the  judgment  that  befel  thee;  but  turn  with  re- 
pentance unto  God,  and  seek  at  his  footstool  the  mercy  thou 
needest,  and  search  in  his  holy  word  for  the  consolation  which 
is  to  revive  thy  spirit ;  and  learn  to  acknowledge  that  God  is 
just  in  all  his  ways,  and  that  his  punishments  are  merciful,  as 
his  bounty  is  undeserved  by  any  acts  which  thou  canst  per- 
form. 

It  were  well,  beloved  brethren,  if  at  the  occurrence  of  any 
calamity  every  man  were  to  address  to  himself  considerations 
like  those  just  presented,  in  order  to  hush  within  himself  the 
tumult  of  rebellious  thoughts  which  will  often  arise  within  us  if 
not  timely  checked.  He  who  now  speaks  to  you  has  to  acknow- 
ledge, that  his  heart  has  not  always  been  free  from  the  sin  of 
searching  into  his  Maker's  views  when  sorrow  visited  his  bo- 
som ;  and  he  at  times  thought  himself  almost  forgotten  because 

VOL.  III. — 13 


146  THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

severe  trials  were  not  withheld  from  him,  because  the  common 
lot  of  man  reached  him  too. — But  let  us  reflect,  have  we  not 
also  our  blessings,  each  of  us,  as  well  as  our  griefs  (  Go  and 
see  about  you  even  in  the  wretched  hovels  of  poverty,  and  you 
will  be  convinced  that  more  good  might  have  been  enjoyed  by 
the  unfortunate  inmates,  had  they  but  properly  used  the  bless- 
ings placed  within  their  reach.  We  arraign,  therefore,  not  un- 
frequently  the  goodness  of  Providence,  whilst  we  ourselves  are 
the  enemies  of  our  peace ;  and  as  was  done  by  Elijah  who, 
when  called  by  Ahab  "  He  who  had  troubled  Israel,"  answered 
"  I  have  not  troubled  Israel ;  but  thou  and  thy  father's  house, 
in  that  ye  have  forsaken  the  commandments  of  the  Lord" 
(1  Kings  xviii.  18.):  the  sinner  should  always  be  rebuked,  be- 
cause he  it  is  who  converts  the  good  he  has  received  or  might 
receive  into  curses  and  afflictions. — And  then,  why  should  we 
compare  our  lot  with  those  more  blessed  than  ourselves  in  order 
to  excite  discontent,  when  we  might  think  ourselves  happy  in 
comparison  with  millions  whose  fate  is  by  far  more  deplorable 
than  ours  ? — Besides  this  we  are  all  apt  to  believe  that,  because 
others  have  that  which  we  need,  they  ought  to  be  more  content 
than  we;  but  they  perhaps  envy  us  some  quality  of  mind  or 
body  for  which  they  would  gladly  sacrifice  the  half  of  that 
wealth  which  we  envy  them.  Believe  me  one  thing,  none  is 
altogether  happy,  none  on  the  other  hand  entirely  forsaken. 
The  Creator  -regards  alike  all  his  works ;  to  his  all-seeing  eye 
nothing  is  concealed ;  the  exalted  are  within  his  ken  and  power, 
and  the  lowly  He  watches,  and  He  shields  them  in  the  day  of 
trouble.  Were  it  now,  that  the  Blessed  One  had  to  act  with 
human  means ;  were  it  that  his  capacities  were  stinted,  because 
He  had  bestowed  many  gifts  upon  a  few ;  were  it  that  his 
memory  could  become  weakened  by  the  length  of  time  which 
has  elapsed  since  the  deeds  of  wickedness  which  we  condemn 
in  the  successful  sinner  were  perpetrated,  or,  since  we  did  those 
acts  which  religion  demands  of  us :  then  indeed  might  we  ex- 
cuse our  littleness  of  faith,  our  presumption  in  accusing  Him  of 
a  want  of  mercy,  of  neglect  of  justice.  But  see  we  not  with 
our  own  eyes  his  unending  power  ?  do  we  not  behold  daily  his 
bounty  scattered  far  and  wide,  over  earth  and  ocean,  over 
mountain  and  plain,  over  city  and  field  ?  Do  we  not  constantly 


* 
THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT.  147 

witness  how  the  poor  are  lifted  up  from  the  dunghill,  how  the 
needy  are  exalted  ?  Have  we  never  beheld  the  fall  of  the  pre- 
sumptuous, the  humbling  of  those  who  trusted  in  their  wealth, 
their  power,  or  wisdom  ?  And  yet  we  doubt !  and  yet  we  fear 
to  pursue  the  way  of  truth,  because  we  see  them  who  forsake 
it  flourish  awhile  in  their  wickedness  !  Therefore  are  we.  taught 
in  Scripture,  Psalm  xxxvii :  "  Fret  not  thyself  because  of  evil- 
doers, be  not  envious  against  the  workers  of  iniquity.  For  like 
the  grass  they  shall  soon  be  cut  down,  and  like  the  green  herb 
they  shall  wither.  Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good,  dwell  in  the 
land,  and  exercise  truth.  And  have  delight  in  the  Lord,  and 
He  will  give  thee  the  desire  of  thy  heart."  And  then  continues 

David : 

* 


xim  vy  HDSI  -pm  'n 

:  'n  i"5?  D'bnn 

"  Commit  unto  the  Lord  thy  way,  and  trust  in  Him,  and  He  will  bring  it 
to  pass."    Ver.  5. 

Who  more  than  the  Sweet  Singer  of  Israel,  beloved  brethren, 
suffered  from  the  attacks  of  the  wicked,  who  was  more  pursued 
by  undeserved  malice !  Taken  from  behind  the  flock,  the  oil  of  . 
anointing  was  poured  upon  his  head  by  the  prophet  Samuel, 
to  institute  him  the  most  worthy  of  the  congregation  of  God  the 
future  king  of  Israel.  When  the  armies  of  his  people  had  been 
defied  by  the  Philistine  giant,  he  boldly  stepped  up  to  vindicate 
the  national  honour.  The  people  acknowledged  him  as  their 
leader.  He  was  the  son-in-law  of  Saul ;  the  chosen  friend  of 
the  disinterested  high-minded  Jonathan ;  and  yet  he  had  to  flee 
from  the  country  like  one  stained  with  crime,  and  no  shelter 
could  he  find  in  the  land  which  he  was  destined  to  rule.  He 
was  denounced  to  his  revengeful  enemy,  and  his  steps  were 
watched  wherever  he  went.  It  must  have  been  under  these  cir- 
cumstances which  tested  his  sincerity,  his  confidence  in  God, 
that  he  composed  many  of  his  songs  of  praise,  it  was  under  such 
a  state  of  trial  that  his  soul  was  filled  with  the  holy  spirit,  and 
reproving  in  himself  the  weakness  of  faith,  he  says :  "  Commit 
unto  the  Lord  thy  way ;"  what  matters  it  that  I  am  a  fugitive, 


148  THE  DUTY  OF  CONTENTMENT. 

an  outcast ;  what  need  I  envy  the  wicked  who  are  now  prosper- 
ous and  happy;  is  not  God  my  salvation?  has  He  not  promised, 
and  will  He  not  fulfil  ?  Surely,  his  word  will  not  fail,  his  pro- 
mises are  not  given  to  deceive ;  but  whate'er  He  says  is  true, 
whate'er  He  promises  will  be  fulfilled. — We  know  how  David 
became  afterwards  the  leader  of  the  people  of  God;  we  know 
how  greatly  the  Israelitish  nation  prospered  under  his  rule ;  we 
are  all  acquainted  with  his  sincere  repentance  when  he  had 
sinned ;  all  of  us  have  felt  the  force  of  his  beautiful  hymns ;  his 
confidence  has  inspirited  our  confidence,  his  filial  faith  has  ex- 
cited our  faith.  He  became  great  in  a  worldly  sense ;  but  how 
much  greater  was  the  spiritual  blessing  which  was  vouchsafed 
unto  him !  and  whilst  the  world  stands,  David's  songs  and  Da- 
vid's hopes  will  be  the  songs  and  hopes  of  Israel.  And  where 
are  they,  whom  David  in  his  moments  of  weakness  envied  as 
happier  than  himself?  they  are  barely  remembered,  their  deeds 
stand  recorded  as  evidence  how  far  man  can  go  astray  when 
he  forsakes  the  fear  of  God  ! — Read,  I  pray  you,  the  whole  of 
the  Psalm  from  which  our  text  was  quoted,  and  you  will  rise 
refreshed  in  faith  and  resignation,  you  will  feel  some  of  the 
inspiration  which  dictated  it,  even  when  you  are  suffering,  and 
see  those  exalted  whom  you  call  wicked ;  and  you  will  become 
sincerely  convinced  that  it  ill  becomes  you,  the  creatures  of  God, 
to  sit  in  judgment  upon  his  government  of  the  world. — You  will 
be  impressed,  if  you  judge  calmly  and  reflect  with  humility,  that 
you  have  suffered  no  injustice,  that  your  case  has  not  been  for- 
gotten by  your  Creator,  and  that  the  evil  you  have  to  endure  is 
a  just  visitation  for  your  manifold  sins,  and  that  your  Redeemer 
lives  to  send  you  enlargement  whenever  in  his  judgment  you  de- 
serve a  return  of  his  mercy.  Be  it  therefore  your  constant  study 
to  be  content  with  your  lot;  do  your  best  by  labour  and  industry 
to  improve  your  condition ;  and  if  success  does  not  then  follow, 
be  sure  that  an  humble  station  is  the  best  for  you,  and  the  sphere 
assigned  to  you  by  Providence  to  contribute  therein  your  por- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  the  world.  But  above  all  do  not 
grow  careless  of  God's  commands,  imagine  not  that  the  way  of 
evil  can  become  by  any  excuse  the  road  to  preferment;  no, 
"  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord,"  do  your  part  as  becomes  his 
servant,  live  under  and  according  to  the  law,  obey  strictly  its 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  149 

precepts ;  "  trust  in  Him;"  be  satisfied  with  the  judgment  that 
is  dispensed  unto  you,  be  convinced  THAT  ALL  THAT  is  is  RIGHT, 
altho'  you  do  not'readily  discover  HOW  this  is.  And  if  you  in 
all  your  ways  know  the  Lord,  remain  steadfast  amidst  trials, 
faithful  in  the  midst  of  sickness  and  pains,  upright  in  poverty, 
and  humble  when  fortune  smiles :  be  then  sure  that  God  will  do 
according  to  his  promise,  send  his  blessing  on  the  work  of 
your  hands,  become  your  Physician  in  diseases,  your  Support  in 
poverty,  your  Stay  in  the  hour  of  success,  and  your  Comforter 
in  sorrow.  Such  thoughts,  such  hopes,  such  a  faith  will  render 
your  life  tranquil,  and  make  you  as  nearly  sinless  as  mortals 
can  be,  and  make  easy  for  you  the  hour  of  death,  when  your 
soul  must  return  to  the  God  who  gave  it ;  and  thus  purified  by 
virtue  and  faith  you  will  become  sons  of  everlasting  life,  inheri- 
tors of  bliss  without  measure. 

O  God  of  Israel !  be  with  us  during  our  pilgrimage  in  this  life 
of  sorrow  and  trial ;  let  thy  countenance  shine  to  us  when  evil 
is  sent,  and  subdue  our  stubborn  heart  to  thy  service,  so  that  we 
may  glorify  Thee,  and  proclaim  thy  goodness  to  all  mankind, 
unto  whom  and  unto  us  we  pray  Thee  to  send  peace  and  salva- 
tion through  thy  blessed  messenger  the  son  of  David,  Amen. 

Elull2th 
Sept.  10th 


DISCOURSE  XIII. 

THE    WAY    OF    LIFE. 

t 

OUR  God  and  God  of  our  fathers !  we  pray  Thee  not  to  enter 
into  judgment  with  us,  for  nothing  living  can  be  justified  before 
Thee ;  but  according  to  thy  unending  mercy  do  Thou  deal  bene- 
ficently with  us,  and  condemn  us  not  altho'  we  have  sinned. 

13* 


150  THE  WAY  OF  LIFE. 

For  well  we  know  our  disobedience  and  hardness  of  heart  !  and 
that  knowing  the  good  we  have  preferred  the  evil,  and  chosen 
the  path  of  death,  altho'  the  way  of  life  lay  open  before  us.  Yet 
art  Thou  ever  ready  to  receive  the  repentant  child  !  Spare 
us  then,  O  our  Father,  and  lead  us  by  mild  visitation  to  recog- 
nize the  sinfulness  of  our  ways,  and  teach  us  to  deserve  thy 
mercy  by  a  sincere  return  unto  thy  service,  even  as  Thou  hast 
commanded  us  through  Moses  thy  servant.  Amen. 

BRETHREN  ! 

We  find  in  the  portion  of  the  law  we  read  this  day  the  fol- 
lowing: 


nan  Dion  nNi  D»nn  n»  DVH  *]vs    »nru  rwn 

r»o  man 


"  Behold,  I  lay  before  thee  this  day  the  life  and  the  good,  and  the  death 
and  the'evil."     Deut  xxx.  15. 

Moses,  as  we  all  know,  had  been  employed  in  teaching  the 
people  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  informed  them  how  and  when 
they  were  to  engage  in  what  is  called  divine  service,  and  how 
and  when  they  were  to  abstain  from  certain  acts  which  are 
called  disobedience  to  the  commands  of  God.  Every  opportu- 
nity had  been  seized  during  a  period  of  forty  years  to  again  and 
again  urge  upon  the  children  of  Israel  the  necessity  of  a  com- 
pliance with  whatever  had  been  taught  them,  and  the  danger 
which  attended  a  disregard  of  divine  behests.  They  had  also 
been  informed,  that  the  Lord  purposed  their  happiness,  and  not 
his  own  aggrandizement,  and  that  by  choosing  them  as  his  peo- 
ple He  merely  intended  to  set  them  up  as  living  monuments  of 
his  power  and  goodness  to  the  other  nations  of  the  earth.  And 
now  when  but  a  few  hours  of  earthly  life  were  left  to  our  great 
teacher,  when  but  few  more  words  of  instruction  were  to  flow 
from  his  lips  :  he  addressed  the  Israelites  who  knew  him  to  be 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  eternity,  (since  the  forty  years  from 
the  Exodus  were  just  then  drawing  to  a  close,)  in  the  above 
memorable  words.  Behold  !  our  blessed  lawgiver  at  the  head 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  J51 

of  the  people — sinking  into  the  grave  with  strength  undiminished 
and  eye  unclouded,  not  dying  because  of  the  weakness  of  age, 
or  the  debility  of  sickness,  but  simply  because  by  a  just  decree 
he  had  been  doomed  for  a  want  of  obedience  on  one  occasion 
only  not  to  enter  the  promised  land, — exhorting  his  hearers  to 
follow  the  road  of  the  law  he  had  marked  out  for  them,  and 
to  hand  down  this  law  to  their  descendants  for  ever  as  the  code 
which  it  behooved  them  to  obey.  And  if  any  one  of  all  these 
were  now  to  have  asked,  "  Why  should  he  obey  the  precepts 
of  the  law  ?"  the  prophet  says :  "  Behold  I  lay  before  thee  this 
day  the  life  and  the  good."  If  you  wish  to  obtain  THE  life, 
adopt  THE  good ;  that  is  to  say,  by  obedience  only  can  life  ever- 
lasting be  obtained ;  by  obedience  only  can  life  on  earth  be  ren- 
dered happy.  Look  upon  the  ways  of  men,  upon  the  passions 
which  agitate,  upon  the  desires  which  impel  them,  and  you  will 
not  find  that  they  lead  unto  life.  Go,  brethren !  and  mix  among 
the  crowds  that  throng  the  streets,  with  the  inmates  of  lordly 
palaces  and  the  tenants  of  the  abodes  of  wretchedness,  and  see 
whether  their  unhappiness  proceeds  from  obedience  to  our  law 
or  from  a  neglect  thereof.  Look  upon  the  drunkard,  he  trans- 
gresses the  law  by  converting  the  blessings  of  God  into  means 
of  degrading  himself  to  the  level  of  the  beast ;  has  he  life  ?  Alas 
no !  they  even,  who  love  him  and  are  depending  in  a  measure 
upon  the  labour  of  his  hands  for  their  support,  are  themselves 
among  the  number  of  those  who  must  regard  his  death  as  a 
blessing  more  than  an  affliction ;  for  he  is  a  burden  to  himself, 
a  disgrace  to  his  family,  and  an  outcast  from  the  society  of  the 
good.  And  when  his  end  draws  near,  when  his  substance  is 
wasted,  when  his  steps  are  tottering  though  he  is  young  in 
years,  when  his  wife  and  children  are  dressed  in  the  habili- 
ments of  wretchedness,  and  he  looks  with  dread  upon  their  help- 
less state :  how  glad  would  he  be,  could  he  recall  the  past  years 
of  sin,  and  how  willingly  would  he  now,  if  he  were  permitted 
to  live  his  life  over  again,  fulfil  the  injunction :  "  Ye  shall  there- 
fore be  holy,  for  I  am  holy."* — Yet  in  the  days  of  his  strength 
and  joyousness  he  did  not  regard  with  horror  the  intoxicating 
drink ;  he  poured  out  the  wine,  say  at  the  festive  board,  and 

*  Leviticus,  xi.  44. 


152  THE  WAY  OF  LIFE. 

watched  its  beautiful  purling  with  the  eye  of  fondness;  he  ad- 
mired its  fine  'colour,  praised  its  age  and  vintage,  and  dwelt 
with  rapture  upon  its  delightful  flavour.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  that  the  delicious  cup  would  deprive  him  of  wealth,  of 
friends,  of  reputation,  and  bring  him  in  poverty  and  sorrow  to 
an  early  death.  Say,  how  came  this  to  pass?  Simply  because 
he  used  that  which  has  been  bestowed  on  man  as  an  occasional 
indulgence,  or  a  strengthening  stimulant,  as  an  every-day  drink, 
and  when  it  was  not  required  to  assist  the  process  of  nature; 
regarding  only  its  agreeable  qualities  without  heeding  the  dan- 
gers that  follow  its  immoderate  use.  He  drank  at  first  perhaps 
only  when  in  society  of  friends  to  any  extent ;  he  next  craved 
an  equal  share  when  alone  in  his  house ;  until  by  degrees  his 
vitiated  taste  could  be  satisfied  by  nothing  but  habitual  drink- 
ing, which  naturally  disqualified  him  for  any  rational  occupa- 
tion, and  rendered  him  a  spectacle  of  horror  and  a  by-word,  as 
one  who  chose  death,  when  life  was  within  his  reach. 

Or  watch  the  man  of  deceit,  who  by  a  fair  outward  appear- 
ance endeavours  to  impose  upon  the  credulity  of  his  neighbour ; 
has  he  life?  Certainly  not.  He  imagines  perhaps  that  his  su- 
perior cunning  entitles  him  to  prey  upon  the  ignorant  and  con- 
fiding. He  accordingly  lays  his  schemes  with  a  far-reaching 
view  of  self-aggrandizement,  with  a  single  eye  to  his  own  sup- 
posed interests.  He  watches  with  anxious  care,  with  sleepless 
nights,  every  avenue  which  might  lead  to  detection ;  now  appa- 
rently his  prosperity  stands  unmoved ;  he  reaps  a  golden  har- 
vest; he  speaks  with  evident  charity  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
needy ;  he  is  foremost  in  acts  of  benevolence ;  talks  with  com- 
passion of  the  foibles  and  sins  of  others,  as  though  he  were  in- 
deed a  man  of  truth  and  righteousness.  Yet  he  is  at  heart  full 
of  anxiety ;  he  suspects  every  one  that  approaches  as  likely  to 
become  the  instrument  of  detection ;  but  all  his  acts  are  un- 
availing ;  justice  though  slow  points  at  him  at  last  as  a  traitor 
to  the  social  compact:  and  when  he  stands  exposed  to  the 
world  as  a  deceitful  sinner,  when  deprived  of  his  ill-gotten 
wealth  he  roams  over  the  earth  a  fugitive  and  alone,  his  steps 
pursued  by  thousands  panting  for  his  punishment,  he  will  bitterly 
lament  the  moment  that  he  lost  sight  of  the  divine  command 
which  says:  "  Ye  shall  not  steal,  neither  deal  falsely,  nor  lie  to  one 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  J53 

another."  (Lev.  xix.  11.) — And  yet  was  this  man.  born  innocent 
as  we  all  were ;  and  many  years  after  his  entrance  into  life  he 
must  have  remained  unstained  by  the  crimes  which  banish  him 
now  from  society ;  and  only  because  he  confided  more  in  his 
own  ingenuity,  because  he  had  not  sufficient  faith  in  the  word 
of  God,  he  was  induced  to  seek  prosperity  by  injuring  his  brother; 
and  his  punishment  will  therefore  teach  us,  that  avarice  and 
fraud,  though  cloaked  by  the  mantle  of  outward  sanctity,  are 
not  conducive  to  that  happiness  and  contentment  which  to  ob- 
tain should  be  the  chief  aim  of  our  thoughts  and  labours,  and 
which  can  be  found  only -in  the  pursuit  of  righteousness,  which 
is  found  in  the  precepts  of  the  religion  bestowed  by  the  Lord 
upon  Israel. 

Or  look  upon  the  man  who  stands  on  the  pinnacle  of  glory, 
the  conqueror  before  whose  bloody  sword  thousands  of  slain 
have  fallen,  the  tyrant  whose  frown  strikes  terror  into  all  who 
surround  him ;  has  he  life  ?  If  earthly  greatness  could  confer 
this  boon ;  if  immense  wealth  could  furnish  happiness ;  if  flat- 
tery of  abject  slaves,  the  homage  of  conquered  kingdoms  could 
insure  content :  then  indeed  might  he  say  that  the  had  found  the 
treasure  we  are  commanded  to  seek.  But  does  power  render 
us  immortal?  does  wealth  confer  satisfaction?  do  flattery  and 
homage  prevent  the  assault  of  revenge  or  stay  the  hand  of  the 
prowling  assassin  ?  Where  then  is  THE  LIFE  of  the  mightest 
potentate  who  rises  by  murder  and  violence?  O  no!  he  has 
not  life,  nor  content,  nor  satisfaction.  For  how  can  he  expect, 
the  first,  when  he  has  spilt  wantonly  much  innocent  blood,  and 
rendered  desolate  many  a  happy  peaceful  home  ?  He  only  re- 
garded himself  in  his  search  for  renown ;  he  forgot  his  mor- 
tality, and  that  he  too  must  appear  to  render  an  account  of  his 
deeds  done  whilst  in  the  flesh  before  the  supreme  King  of  kings 
the  Holy  One  who  alone  reigns  over  all ;  and  therefore  the  un- 
erring and  infallible  decree  of  the  Judge  of  all  flesh  will  consign 
him  to  that  doom  which  his  misdeeds  merit. — But  even  before 
his  final  condemnation,  he  enjoys  not  content  nor  satisfaction. — 
The  people  whom  he  oppresses  he  can  place  no  confidence  in, 
and  he  is  constantly  in  dread  of  their  rising  to  expel  him  from 
the  throne  which  he  disgraces ; — the  kingdoms  which  he  has 
conquered  will  continually  strive  to  throw  off  the  galling  yoke 


154  THE  WAY  OF  LIFE. 

which  he  has  imposed  on  them  ;  and  he  can  only  hope  to  keep 
both  in  subjection  by  an  unceasing  vigilance  and  often  by  in- 
creased exactions  ;  for,  the  course  of  violence  once  begun,  it  is 
difficult  to  know  where  to  stop ;  and  thus  he  is  continually  a 
prey  to  anxious  care  and  terrors ;  and  gladly  would  he  choose 
a  brief  space  of  contentment,  no  matter  what  the  price  might 
be.  Although  therefore  he  is  raised  high,  and  despite  the  ex- 
tent of  his  power,  he  will  yet  have  cause  to  feel  that  disobedi- 
ence to  the  law  is  not  the  way  of  life,  and  that  the  king  even 
cannot  disobey  with  impunity  the  commandment  implied  in  the 
words  of  Holy  Writ  which  says :  "  That  his  heart  be  not  lifted 
up  above  his  brethren,  and  that  he  turn  not  aside  from  the  com- 
mandment, to  the  right  or  to  the  left."  (Deut.  xvii.  20.)  Yet 
he  too — how  happy  might  he  have  been,  had  he  not  lent  his  ear 
to  advice  of  the  wicked  who  crouch  at  the  foot  of  power ;  had 
he  not  been  misled  by  the  glitter  of  outward  splendour  which 
necessarily  accompanies  his  station.  Peaceful  neighbours  would 
have  served  him  better  than  the  enraged  conquered  can  do ;  a 
grateful  country  would  have  blessed  a  wise  and  virtuous  ruler; 
and  an  approving  conscience  and  a  well-founded  faith  in  the 
Sovereign  of  the  universe  would  have  rendered  his  sleep  as 
undisturbed  and  tranquil  as  that  of  the  labourer  when  he  has 
finished  his  daily  toil. — And  of  one  thing  be  sure,  brethren !  that 
human  greatness  never  blessed  with  peace  any  one  who  had 
not  the  heavenly  light  within  him ;  and  it  matters  not  whether 
it  be  a  Pharaoh  standing  abashed  before  the  august  prophet 
when  confessing  his  guilt ;  an  Ahab  when  he  met  Elijah  after 
slaying  for  no  cause  Naboth  the  Jezreelite  ;  a  Nabuchadnezzar 
when  he  was  compelled  to  herd  with  the  beasts  of  the  field  that 
he  might  be  taught  humility ;  a  Cassar  when  he  fell  at  the  foot 
of  Pompey's  pillar  struck  by  the  hand  of  his  beloved  Brutus ;  a 
Robespierre  when  in  the  moment  of  desperation  he  attempted 
his  own  life,  or  a  Napoleon  dying  an  exile  upon  a  lonely  isle : 
all  have  felt  that  the  pursuit  of  glory,  unawed  by  the  standard 
which  God  has  given,  is  sure  sooner  or  later  to  produce  the 
fruits  of  bitterness,  and  lead  to  death  and  destruction. 

Nor  are  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  the  pursuit  of  pleasure, 
and  the  indulgence  in  carnal  desires  the  sources  of  life.  The 
possession  of  the  first  leaves  to  those  who  view  them  as  essen- 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE. 

'  tials  to  happiness,  a  vast  void  yet  unfilled  up,  and  they  die  with 
not  the  half  of  their  desire  accomplished. — Or  speak  of  worldly 
wisdom ;  and  can  you  point  out  one  among  the  whole  crowd  of 
philosophers,  from  the  most  remote  antiquity  to  our  own  days, 
who  either  was  happy  through  its  possession  only,  or  beloved 
by  the  unwise  for  no  other  cause  than  his  learning  ? — Or  tell 
me  of  pleasures  ;  who  did  ever  exist  that  had  tasted  enough  of 
the  varied  joys  which  this  life  affords,  or  who  could  say  with 
truth,  that  the  most  exquisite  pleasure  did  not  always  leave  a' 
melancholy  impression  upon  the  soul  ?  We  will  not  enlarge  at 
present  by  an  investigation  of  the  subject ;  but  will  merely  de- 
mand, whether  the  happiest  of  mortals  ever  found  what  may 
with  truth  be  called  LIFE  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  from  his  in- 
fancy to  the  moment  of  his  death,  even  if  no  cloud  should  ever 
have  darkened  his  horizon,  or  pain  marred  his  enjoyment? — 
And  with  regard  to  indulgence  in  carnal  desires  and  the  follow- 
ing of  the  dictates  of  the  passions,  it  is  almost  superfluous  to 
assign  any  reason  why  they  cannot  offer  life.  For  let  a  man 
but  commence  a  course  predicated  upon  such  rules,  if  rules 
they  may  be  called,  and  what  will  be  his  end  ?  Premature  de- 
cay, and  early  death  on  the  one,  and  an  ignominious  punish- 
ment for  laws  transgressed  and  rights  trampled  on,  on  the  other 
hand. 

In  following  up  these  investigations  it  will  become  manifest 
to  you  that  if  we  commit  ourselves  to  the  allurements  of  the 
external  world,  and  have  no  regard  to  any  guidance  save  that 
presented  by  our  own  reason,  interest,  appetite  or  passion :  our 
life  must  pass  away  very  unsatisfactorily  to  ourselves  and  pro- 
fitless to  others.  The  destructive  operation  of  these  false  guides 
upon  ourselves  we  have  already  traced;  and  can  you  name 
any  benefit  or  service  which  the  vain  egotist  who  is  proud  of 
his  learning,  the  sordid  seeker  after  wealth,  the  glutton  and 
drunkard,  and  the  self-sufficient  oppressor  can  confer  on  others 
by  the  mere  pursuit  of  their  selfish  ends  ?  On  the  contrary, 
every  act  of  theirs  if  it  have  any  effect  at  all  must  be  more  or 
less  injurious  to  society,  and  the  annals  of  the  world  and  the 
records  of  crime  furnish  us  with  thousands  of  instances  to  prove 
the  truth  of  this  assertion. — But  turn  we  now  to  the  man  who 
seeks  to  shape  his  course  by  the  law  of  God,  and  we  shall  see 


156  THE  WAY  OF 

an  entirely  different  result  springing  from  his  labours.  Let  us 
regard  him  as  the  father  of  a  family.  He  is  there  temperate  in 
the  use  of  things,  even  those  not  prohibited  by  the  law ;  he 
never  exhibits  himself  before  his  children  in  a  manner  that  they 
must  despise  their  parent;  he  is  the  friend  not  the  tyrant  of  his 
wife ;  he  is  a  kind  master  over  his  servants,  and  imposes  no 
unnecessary  burdens  upon  his  subordinates,  knowing  that  they 
are  like  him  servants  and  children  of  Omnipotence,  who  merit 
•and  therefore  should  receive  kind  and  generous  treatment  from 
those  who  employ  their  labour.  He  instructs  his  family  in  the 
path  they  should  go ;  he  watches  their  conduct ;  and  because 
he  spends  all  the  time  not  necessary  for  his  out-door  occupa- 
tions in  his  own  home,  at  his  own  peacefnl  fireside,  he  has 
ample  opportunity  to  correct  whatever  of  fault  he  may  discover; 
and  thus  he  is  not  only  the  parent  in  the  flesh  of  his  offspring, 
but  is  likewise,  conjointly  with  the  mother,  the  spiritual  guide 
of  the  children  whom  God  has  given  him. — Who  sees  not  in  a 
picture  like  this,  where  a  righteous  husband  presides  over  the 
good  of  the  household,  a  legitimate  consequence  of  obedience 
to  the  commandments?  and  who  can  doubt  that  there  is  life, 
and  happiness,  .and  contentment,  where  we  see  regarded  the 
precept:  "  And  thou  shall  teach  them  diligently  unto  thy  chil- 
dren, and  speak  of  them  when  thou  sittest  in  thy  house,  and  when 
thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when 
thou  risest  up  ?"  (Deut.  vi.  7.) 

Or  let  us  visit  the  man  who  conducts  his  business  in  the  fear 
of  the  Lord.  He  is  scrupulous  to  deal  fairly  with  all  men  ;  he 
uses  no  subterfuges  or  artful  tricks  to  enhance  unduly  the  price 
of  his  wares  in  the  eye  of  others ;  he  makes  no  false  representa- 
tion of  any  kind  so  as  to  deceive  with  regard  to  the  extent  of 
his  means ;  in  competing  with  his  neighbours  he  will  never 
undervalue  their  merchandize  or  throw  a  slight  or  doubt  upon 
their  fair  standing ;  he  engages  in  no  wild  speculations  by  which 
his  own  property  or  that  of  those  confiding  in  him  may  be 
jeopardized ;  and  when  any  unforeseen  misfortune  should 
occur,  he  will  deal  alike  with  all  who  have  claims  upon  him, 
and  prefer  honourable  poverty  to  dishonourable  wealth  gotten 
by  fraud,  deception  or  concealment.  In  his  pursuit  of  gain, 
which  in  itself  is  both  lawful  and  praiseworthy,  he  will  place 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  157 

unlimited  confidence  in  the  blessing  of  God,  and  transact  his 
business  so,  that  in  giving  to  each  man  what  is  his  due,  he  will 
also  direct  his  views  to  the  commands  contained  in  Scripture, 
and  give  to  the  poor  according  to  his  means ;  support  as  be- 
comes him  the  service  of  his  Maker  and  the  schools  of  instruc- 
tion whence  virtue,  knowledge  and  piety  are  scattered  abroad ; 
and  when  the  time  of  rest  arrives  he  will  cease  speaking  of  his 
worldly  affairs  and  refrain  from  pursuing  his  usual  avocations, 
but  resort  with  those  who  are  of  his  household  to  the  places 
where  the  sons  of  Israel  meet  to  pray,  and  where  the  holy  law 
is  proclaimed  freely  and  openly  to  all  who  may  come. — Such 
a  course  is  surely  one  of  much  peace  and  enjoyment,  and  the 
certain  reward  will  be  the  obtainment  of  life, — the  life  of  the 
soul,  and  the  possession  of  tranquillity  and  content ;  for  thus 
says  the  text :  "  A  perfect  and  just  weight  shall  thou  have,  a 
perfect  and  just  measure  shalt  thou  have,  that  thy  days  may  be 
lengthened  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee." 
(Deut.  xxv.  15.) 

Again,  place  a  servant  of  God  in  an  exalted  station ;  and 
•what  will  his  conduct  be  1  He  will  look  upon  himself  as  a  de- 
pendent upon  a  superior  Authority,  as  a  representative  of  a 
higher  Power,  to  dispense,  in  a  limited  degree  because  of  human 
weakness,  justice  and  mercy  to  all  who  may  come  under  his 
supervision.  He  will  not  presume  over  those  placed  under  his 
control,  and  not  impose  unnecessary  burdens  upon  the  people ; 
but  knowing  his  accountability  he  will  govern  with  moderation, 
endeavour  to  instil  true  piety  and  submission  to  divine  rule, 
and  promote  peace  and  good-will  among  the  children  of  men. 
Shall  I  name  you  instances  ?  Then  look  upon  Abraham ;  he 
called  himself  dust  and  ashes,  and  yet  he  was  the  first  that  pro- 
claimed aloud  the  greatness  of  God  ;  and  what  was  his  reward  t 
not  alone  that  the  Lord  made  with  him  a  covenant  to  be  a 
Protector  to  him  and  his  seed  after  him,  but  the  gentiles  too 
acknowledged  their  indebtedness  to  the  peaceful  shepherd,  and 
called  him  "  a  prince  of  God  among  them,"  and  sought  his 
friendship  for  themselves  and  their  descendants  after  them. — 
Then  we  had  a  Joseph  who,  raised  to  the  throne  from  a  prison, 
forgot  not  the  fear  of  God  when  they  who  had  deeply  injured 
him  were  in  his  power. — Not  to  speak  of  Moses  who  was  the 

VOL.  in. — 14 


158  THE  WAY  OF 

meekest  of  men,  and  to  whom  no  other  man  ever  yet  was 
equal :  we  may  claim  David,  who,  though  he  occasionally 
sinned,  and  thus  proved  by  his  example  the  efficacy  of  repent- 
ance, was  nevertheless  a  devoted  adherent  to  the  Lord,  and 
called  down  upon  himself  and  his  house  the  punishment  of  sin, 
rather  than  that  the  people  over  whom  he  had  been  called  to 
rule  should  suffer.  And  who  does  not  remember  David  \  who 
that  is  of  Israel's  slock  but  proudly  claims  a  share  in  the  son  of 
Jesse  ? — And  not  to  extend  our  inquiries  too  far,  let  us  call  to 
mind  one  more  Israelite,  the  virtuous  Josiah,  who  purified  the 
land  of  idolatry,  repented  because  he  was  certified  of  the  will 
of  God,  and  was  the  means  of  a  renewed  spirit  of  devotion  in 
Palestine.  Much  was  he  loved,  and  his  early  death  was  deplored 
by  the  poet  and  seer,  the  prophet  Jeremiah. — And  of  those  who 
are  aliens  to  our  race  we  may  also  number  many  who  have 
done  honour  to  the  image  of  God  which  they  bore.  We  in- 
stance a  Grecian  Aristides,  a  Roman  Cincinnatus,  an  Alfred  of 
England,  and  the  good  Washington,  a  man  evidently  the  in- 
strument of  Providence  to  effect  a  great  change  in  the  opinions 
and  customs  of  men,  and  who  with  but  a  small  sacrifice  of 
human  life  was  the  means  of  establishing  a  mighty  state  where 
freedom  and  civilization  might  find  a  home,  and  Israel  dwell 
safely  with  none  to  be  a  hindrance  to  them  or  their  faith. — It 
is  thus  that  at  the  height  of  human  power  a  regard  to  the  law 
will  ensure  the  happiness  of  the  individual  as  well  as  of  those 
connected  with  him  ;  and  as  says  the  Psalm  :  "  Lord  !  the  king 
will  be  glad  in  thy  strength,  and  in  thy  salvation  how  greatly 
will  he  rejoice ! — He  asked  life  of  Thee,  and  Thou  gavest  it  to 
him — length  of  days  for  ever  and  ever. — For  the  king  trusteth 
in  the  Lord,  and  through  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  he  shall  not 
be  moved."  (Ps.  xxi.  2,  5,  8.)  And  say,  who  would  not  sooner 
be  an  Abraham,  the  shepherd-chief  and  the  founder  of  our 
now  scattered  nation,  than  a  Nimrod,  the  builder  of  mighty 
cities,  the  renowned  ruler  of  remote  antiquity? — a  Moses 
rather,  whose  grave  is  not  known,  than  a  tyrant  Pharaoh,  for 
whose  corpse  a  pyramid  was  raised  as  a  suitable  burial-place  \ 
or  prefer  being  a  Josiah,  the  restorer  of  the  worship,  than  a 
Nebuchadnezzar  who  overthrew  mighty  kingdoms  1  And  lastly, 
to  bring  the  matter  closer  to  our  own  days,  let  us  ask,  who  of 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  159 

proper  feeling  does  not  believe  the  fame  of  Washington,  who 
retired  from  power  when  his  services  were  no  longer  needed, 
more  enviable  than  the  renown  of  Napoleon,  who  could  not 
rest  till  he  had  usurped  the  dominion  over  a  people  he  pre- 
tended to  honour,  and  become  the  terror  of  many  nations,  who 
at  length  combined  and  hurled  him  from  a  throne  erected  upon 
the  bodies  of  slain  millions  ? — Is  it  not  evident,  that  a  ruler 
governing  in  humility  is  a  blessing  ?  and  that  he  earns  life  for 
himself  when  his  race  is  run,  and  can  enjoy  content  and  peace 
whilst  yet  on  earth  because  he  has  obtained  the  satisfaction  of  his 
God,  and  is  secure  in  the  love  of  those  over  whom  he  is  placed  ? 
Upon  the  whole  it  will  be  apparent  to  you,  beloved  brethren, 
that  the  way  pointed  out  by  our  blessed  religion  is  the  road  of 
life  and  happiness ;  that  the  acts  it  prohibits  are  the  paths  of 
death  and  evil. — If  now  we  want  to  know,  "  How  we  are  to 
obtain  life  ?"  it  necessarily  becomes  our  duty  to  investigate  the 
holy  Scriptures  to  enable  us  to  obtain  the  requisite  information. 
And  what  does  Moses  say  in  continuation  of  our  text  ?  "  In 
that  I  command  thee  this  day  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  to 
walk  in  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  commands,  and  his  statutes 
and  his  judgments :  that  thou  mayest  live  and  multiply,  and 
the  Lord  thy  God  will  bless  thee  in  the  land  whither  thou  goest 
to  possess  it."  Whoever  therefore  wishes  .to  obtain  the  boon 
of  life,  must  correct  at  every  stage  of  his  being  every  evil  pro- 
pensity he  may  discover  within  himself;  he  must  watch  his 
passions,  subdue  his  inclinations,  and  restrain  the  advice  which 
interest  and  self-aggrandizement  might  whisper  into  his  soul. 
At  every  occurrence  of  life  he  should  ask  himself  whether  the 
contemplated  action  is  in  consonance  with  the  ways  of  God, 
whether  the  deed  intended  be  one  of  mercy,  of  righteousness, 
of  benevolence  and  justice.  If  called  upon  by  any  circumstance 
whatever  to  .do  any  thing  be  it  great  and  small,  he  should  first 
consult  the  Bible,  to  discover  whether  or  not  it  is  agreeable  to 
the  commandments,  statutes  and  judgments  of  the  Lord ;  or 
rather,  as  we  are  continually  and  unexpectedly  compelled  to 
be  active,  it  is  evidently  unavoidably  necessary  that  we  be  pre- 
pared beforehand,  and  make  ourselves  constantly  more  familiar 
with  our  duties,  both  by  inquiring  from  others  and  a  constant 
study  of  the  word  of  God  for  ourselves,  so  that  we  may  be  able 


l(jQ  THE  WAY  OF  LIFE. 

to  act  rightly  whenever  the  time  of  action  may  come.  If  then 
our  peace  is  threatened  by  the  allurements  of  the  world,  we 
shall  in  this  manner  be  prepared  to  stand  firmly,  unmoved  and 
obedient,  amidst  the  tumult  of  passion,  interest  and  ambition. 
The  dazzling  glitter  of  folly  may  then  strive  to  entice  us  on- 
ward to  death ;  but  the  steady  light  of  God's  truth  will  point 
out  the  way  which  leads  unto  salvation.  So  also  the  prophet : 
"I  call  heaven  and  earth  as  witnesses  against  you  this  day; 
the  life  and  the  death,  the  blessing  and  the  curse  I  have  set 
before  thee ;  but  do  thou  choose  the  life  that  thou  mayest  live, 
thou  and  thy  seed." 

Let  no  man  therefore  plead  in  extenuation  of  his  sinning,  that 
he  is  much  tempted,  that  he  is  engaged  in  active  business  pur- 
suits, that  the  commands  of  the  law  are  not  suited  to  his  taste, 
that  his  high  station  exempts  him  from  obedience, — nothing  of 
this  nature  will  plead  his  excuse  for  disobeying  the  will  of  the 
supreme  King.  For  if  we  are  much  tempted  we  should  place 
before  us  in  lively  colours,  that  momentary  gratification  will  be 
followed  by  long  years  of  repentance,  sorrow,  and  perhaps 
sickness,  death,  and  condemnation  of  the  guilty  soul ;  that  habits 
of  evil  are  gradually  acquired  from  trifling  and  small  begin- 
nings ;  and  that  at  last  every  sin  will  not  only  make  us  ame- 
nable to  the  vengeance  of  Heaven,  but  will  likewise  render 
more  difficult  for  us  the  ascent  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord, 
where  is  the  holy  mansion  of  the  righteous  who  have  done  his 
will. — If  we  are  engaged  in  active  business,  the  greater  is  our 
need  of  divine  consolation.  So  many  are  the  vicissitudes  to 
which  we  are  hourly  exposed,  so  many  dangers  continually 
surround  us :  that  we  ought  to  have  peace  and  life  within,  to 
resist  the  blast  which  one  time  must  assail  us  from  without ; 
and  where  can  this  peace  be  found  but  in  obedience,  and  piety, 
and  a  reliance  on  divine  assistance,  as  we  have  shown  ?  If  the 
words  of  Scripture  are  not  palatable  to  us,  can  this  be  an 
excuse  for  our  transgressing  ?  O  wo  !  for  the  sinful  folly  that 
seeks  to  place  itself  above  the  balm  of  life  !  If  we  have  any 
doubts,  if  our  faith  is  feeble,  let  us  apply  ourselves  with  double 
diligence  to  investigate  the  precepts  of  the  law,  let  us  prostrate 
ourselves  before  the  foot  of  Mercy,  and  ask  for  light  to  dispel 
our  darkness,  for  grace  to  combat  our  unbelief.  For  when 


THE  WAY  OF  LIFE.  161 

proper  devotion  has  taken  possession  of  our  hearts,  we  will 
readily  embrace  the  scheme  which  God  has  laid  before  us,  we 
will  choose  it  as  the  way  of  life,  in  which  alone  we  can  move 
onward  to  happiness. — And  if  our  exalted  station  would  instil 
pride  into  our  spirit,  and  mislead  us  to  forget  our  accounta- 
bility :  then  let  us  call  to  mind  how  soon  over  the  mightiest  in 
genius  and  power  the  rod  of  confusion  may  be  stretched  out, 
and  how  speedily  our  highest  power  and  brightest  wisdom  must 
yield  to  the  conqueror  of  the  most  renowned  conquerors,  and 
the  destroyer  of  the  wisest  philosopher,  the  terrible  but  sure- 
coming  angel  of  death. 

If  thus  now  we  survey  the  evils  attending  on  sin  and  the 
happiness  consequent  upon  obedience,  and  call  to  mind  that 
earthly  gifts  will  soon  fade  and  vanish  from  our  grasp,  or  we 
be  taken  from  them ;  and  that  at  last  we  are  in  the  hands  of 
Him  who  gave  us  the  law  of  life :  we  must  be  penetrated  with 
devotion  and  a  willing  spirit  to  yield  ourselves  subjects  to  the 
yoke  of  the  law.  ^  To  us  the  choice  is  given — we  have  before 
us  life  and  the  good,  death  and  the  evil ;  there  is  no  power  on 
earth  to  prevent  our  choosing  wisely.  O  !  let  us  take  up  eagerly 
the  portion  of  life,  and  fly  to  the  ranks  of  the  righteous  and 
pious  of  all  ages  and  all  nations  who  have  executed  the  will  of 
their  Maker  according  to  the  best  light  they  had  obtained.  Let 
many,  let  all,  resolve  to  unite  themselves  to  God  in  the  year 
which  is  now  coming  unto  us,  let  us  hope,  in  peace,  life  and 
prosperity ;  let  the  youth,  the  man,  and  him  who  stands  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave  seize  hold  of  the  life  which  is  in  the  law ; 
and  when  the  cornet  sounds  in  the  habitations  of  Israel,  let  all 
be  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  dependence  on  God,  and  pro- 
claim aloud  that  they  receive  Him  as  their  King  and  Saviour, 
and  seek  for  life  and  light  in  his  presence  where  there  are  peace 
and  joy  to  everlasting  ! 

O  God  !  send  upon  us,  thy  people,  the  good  we  need ;  inscribe 
us  in  the  book  of  life,  of  maintenance  and  salvation  ;  and  cause 
the  spread  of  righteousness  to  become  abundant  among  us,  and 
let  thy  grace  be  with  us,  even  as  we  hope  in  Thee.  Amen. 

Elul26th   I 
Sept.  iJ4th  $ 


162 


DISCOURSE  XIV. 

SALVATION     THROUGH     REPENTANCE. 

Ix  thy  law,  0  our  God  !  Thou  hast  written,  that  even  in  the 
lands  of  our  enemies  Thou  wouldst  not  cast  us  away,  nor  abhor 
us  to  destroy  us  utterly  and  to  break  thy  covenant  with  us ;  we 
beseech  Thee  now  to  fulfil  thy  word,  and  to  keep  alive  in  our 
hearts  the  sense  of  our  duty  and  the  remembrance  of  our  cove- 
nant with  Thee,  so  that  we  may  be  awakened  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  sinfulness  of  our  backsliding  from  thy  righteous  com- 
mands  ;  and  do  Thou,  O  omnipotent  King  !  not  withhold  from 
us  thy  protection  and  goodness ;  but  protect  us  when  enemies 
assail  us  in  their  wrath  and  pride,  and  shield  the  worm  of  Jacob 
from  the  merciless  persecutor,  who  lies  in  wait  for  thy  heritage. 
And  in  thy  mercy  do  Thou  forgive  our  sins  unwittingly  com- 
mitted, our  wilful  transgressions,  and  our  presumptuous  iniquity, 
and  wash  us  clean  by  thy  grace  from  the  pollution  of  rebel- 
lious disobedience.  Yes,  do  Thou  purify  us,  that  we  may  be 
pure,  and  stand  before  Thee  renovated  with  a  new  heart  and 
a  new  spirit  to  serve  thee  alone,  O  our  God  !  who  art  our 
Father,  our  Creator,  our  Shepherd,  our  Guardian  for  ever. 
Amen ! 

BRETHREN  ! 

In  my  last  address  I  attempted  briefly  to  exhibit  the  beauties 
of  a  holy  life,  the  happiness  attending  on  obedience,  and  the 
evils  consequent  upon  a  dereliction  from  the  path  of  duty  pointed 
out  by  the  law.  It  was  there  shown  to  you  that  piety  has  so 
many  attractions  to  the  rightly  thinking,  that  it  is  but  reasona- 
ble to  expect  that  every  well-informed  person  would  as  a  mat- 
ter of  choice  become  pious. — Yet  the  fact  cannot  be  denied, 
that  piety  is  not  loved  by  all,  and  that  religion  is  more  praised 
than  practised ;  or  in  other  words,  that  mankind  fail  to  reach 
happiness,  and  reap  misery,  temporary  and  lasting,  as  the  re- 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  153 

ward  for  their  actions.  It  would  appear  almost,  that,  were  we 
to  take  an  account  merely  of  the  outward  pursuits  of  mankind, 
they  had  no  idea  whatever  of  the  importance  of  a  religious  life, 
so  much  are  they  engaged  in  pursuits  foreign  to  piety,  and  in 
occupations  which  seem  to  absorb  all  the  faculties  and  energies 
with  which  they  have  been  endowed  by  the  God  of  nature. — If 
God  now  were  to  judge  as  men  judge,  if  He  were  to  condemn 
as  mortals  condemn,  who  of  all  the  living  could  hope  for  mercy  ? 
For  do  we  not  daily  see  how  sin  is  heaped  upon  sin,  iniquity 
upon  iniquity,  rebellion  upon  rebellion  ?  We  crave  the  evil  that 
is  prohibited,  even  if  we  do  not  practise  it ;  and  whenever  the 
least  excuse  can  be  discovered  for  transgressing,  we  yield  to 
our  craving  and  openly  contemn  the  divine  commandments. 
This  is  the  course  of  folly,  of  forgetfulness  of  our  duties  which 
so  many  of  us  pursue,  in  which  nearly  all  incur  the  guilt  of  sin. 
Is  there  one  now  who  has  never  sinned,  in  thought,  in  word,  or 
action  ?  Who  can  say,  that  his  heart  is  pure  from  deceit,  his 
mouth  from  wicked  words,  his  hands  from  sinful  deeds  1  Truly, 
we  see  the  good  but  choose  the  evil ;  the  road  of  life  is  clearly 
pointed  out  to  us  in  the  law,  but  we  walk  in  the  path  of  death. 
We  surrender  ourselves  slaves  to  our  unholy  desires,  and  close 
our  ears  against  the  admonition  which  the  words  of  Scripture 
constantly  address  to  us.  We  say,  therefore,  that  if  God  were 
to  judge  us  as  mortals  judge,  no  one  would  be  justified,  no  one 
could  hope  to  see  the  life  everlasting.  But  He  is  mindful  of 
our  frame,  He  remembers  that  we  are  dust,  and  will  not  cut 
off  the  sinner  utterly  although  his  deeds  merit  visitation.  On 
the  contrary  He  gives  him  opportunities  to  again  merit  favour, 
and  to  retrieve  the  errors  he  has  committed.  In  other  words, 
the  sinner  has  received  a  remedy  by  which  he  can  again  obtain 
divine  mercy  :  this  remedy  is  "  repentance."  Let  us  explain  : 
every  act  which  we  do,  be  it  good  or  bad,  deserves  a  return  ; 
and  for  every  deed  of  our  life  we  shall  accordingly  be  judged 
by  our  God  and  Creator,  and  receive  such  a  doom  as  our  con- 
duct will  have  merited.  If  our  good  actions  therefore  exceed 
our  sins,  we  shall  receive  blessing  and  happiness  as  the  reward 
for  our  past  life ;  but  if  our  sins  are  more  numerous  than  our 
virtues  it  is  evident  that  we  ourselves  can  expect  nothing  else 
than  condemnation ;  for  we  have  voluntarily  assumed  the  re- 


164  SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

sponsibility  of  choosing  sin  and  its  natural  concomitant,  retri- 
bution, inasmuch  as  nothing  compelled  us  to  transgress  but  our 
own  evil  inclination,  and  because  we  might  have  lived  vir- 
tuously if  sin  had  not  led  us  willing  captives  into  the  snares  of 
unbelief  and  iniquity ;  and  consequently  we  cannot  complain 
if  we  have  to  taste  the  bitter  fruits  of  our  unwise  choice. 

If  now  there  were  no  atonement  provided  for  the  sons  of 
man,  there  could  evidently  be  no  happiness,  since  all  have  more 
or  less  sinned,  and  sinned  voluntarily,  disregarding  wilfully  the 
law  of  life ;  and  because  but  few  of  us,  if  any,  can  lay  claim 
to  a  great  amount  of  virtuous  deeds  which  would  outweigh  the 
load  of  sin  with  which  their  consciences  are  burdened.  It  was 
therefore  consonant  with  divine  wisdom  to  appoint  so  to  say 
checks  upon  our  actions,  and  to  ordain  reasons  which  would, 
from  association,  make  it  the  duty  of  every  one  to  institute  annu- 
ally an  inquiry  into  his  past  conduct,  to  see  if  something  does  not 
require  alteration  and  improvement ;  if  there  is  not  some  trait 
or  quality  in  his  character  which  is  not  in  accordance  with  the 
religion  of  the  Lord.  In  this  then  we  have  another  cause  of 
thankfulness,  in  that  the  law  was  not  only  given  to  point  out 
the  way  of  life,  but  that  it  also  contains  constant  reviving 
springs,  which  are  to  fill  up  the  waste  of  the  precious  element 
caused  by  the  avocations,  the  distractions,  the  bustle,  and  the 
confusion  incident  to  our  peregrination  through  the  mazes  of 
our  terrestrial  existence. — We  all  know  how  exciting  are  the 
passions  and  the  desires  which  the  Creator  has  implanted  in  us 
for  wise  purposes,  in  order  to  insure  the  continuance  of  the 
human  race,  and  to  give  us  incentives  to  labour  and  exertion. 
But  how  would  it  stand  with  many,  if  not  all  of  us,  were  there 
no  inducement  or  opportunity  given  to  watch  the  operation  of 
these  desires,  and  to  see  that  they  do  not  lead  to  vice  and  im- 
morality, or  to  arrest  their  course  if  we  discover  that  they  have 
led  us  astray  1  Would  we  not  hurry  on  to  destruction,  slowly 
perhaps  at  first,  but  with  an  accelerated  downward  speed,  if 
once  we  had  yielded  to  their  sway  ?  How  wise  therefore  is 
the  provision  of  our  law  in  giving  us  remedies  for  both  these 
dangers,  by  assigning  us  a  season  of  repentance  every  year, 
and  by  teaching  us  at  the  same  time  that  repentance  is  effica- 
cious and  peace-making  between  the  sinful  creature  and  the 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  155 

justly  offended  Creator. — Ceremonies  therefore  were  instituted, 
and  days  of  abstinence  from  labour,  one  of  which  is  the  great 
solemn  day  for  general  humiliation,  appointed,  to  awaken  the 
attention  of  all  Israel,  and  to  admonish  them,  each  and  collec- 
tively, to  search  into  their  past  conduct,  to  sift  their  actions,  to 
accuse  themselves  of  every  wrong  they  may  discover,  and  to 
resolve  on  an  amended  course  of  life  for  the  future.     The  only 
obstacles  to  such  a  procedure  are  ignorance  and  stubbornness, 
and  neither  is  of  sufficient  weight  to  excuse  a  continuance  in 
the  path  of  sin. — Let  us  examine  the  first  difficulty,  ignorance. 
Says  the  sinner,  "  There  is  nothing  wrong  in  what  I  do;  I  fol- 
low the  bent  of  what  I  consider  right,  and  surely  my  conscience 
would  approve  of  nothing  that  is  wrong,  and  1  feel  no  com- 
punctious visiting  of  the  inward  monitor ;  my  sleep  is  sound, 
my  reflections  by  day  are  not  disturbed  by  a  consciousness  of 
sin  ;  consequently  the  course  I  am  pursuing  cannot  be  displeas- 
ing in  the  sight  of  Heaven."     It  is,  brethren  !  presumption  like 
this  which  keeps  the  greater  number  of  those  who  transgress 
the  law  in  the  road  to  perdition  which  they  are  pursuing,  and 
this  simply  because  they  will  not  see  the  truth  which  is  to  them 
accessible  no  less  than  to  the  righteous.     But  what  man  who 
understands  properly  the  operations  of  the  human  mind  will 
say,  that  a  tranquillity  of  conscience  in  religious  matters  is  a 
test  of  innocence  ?    If  we  do  not  inform  ourselves  of  our  duties, 
how  can  the  conscience  be  awakened  to  rebuke  us  if  we  ne- 
glect them  ?  For  instance,  if  a  youth  at  the  age  of  twenty  were 
for  the  first  time  to  see  his  father,  and  not  be  informed  of  the 
relationship  subsisting  between  him  and  the  person  before  him  : 
is  it  possible  that  he  would  show  him  the  obedience  due  to  a 
parent  ?  or  would  you  suppose  that  there  exists  a  mysterious 
connection  in  nature  which  would  at  once  reveal  to  the  one 
owing  duty  the  person  to  whom  such  duty  should  be  paid  ? 
Most  assuredly  the  uninformed  debtor  would  pretermit  the  obe- 
dience, till  he  is  certified  that  it  is  indeed  his  father  who  claims 
the  same. — Or  suppose  a  young  man  who  has  from  his  infancy 
been  trained  among  a  band  of  thieves  to  steal  or  commit  other 
violations  against  the  social  peace  ;  what  do  you  think  are  his 
sensations  when  he  abstracts  another's  property  ?  Certainly  not 
those  of  a  consciousness  of  sin,  although  he  may  have  the  fear 


166  SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

of  detection  before  him,  knowing  as  he  must  that  no  one  likes 
to  lose  any  thing  once  in  his  possession  ;  and  if  such  a  person 
is  apprehended,  he  exhibits  not  unfrequently  what  we  com- 
monly call  a  hardened  disposition,  because  we  cannot  imagine 
how  one  can  help  expressing  contrition  when  he  has  violated 
his  neighbour's  rights.  But  the  truth  is,  the  moral  perception 
of  wrong  has  never  been  awakened  in  the  delinquent,  it  is  igno- 
rance which  hardens  him,  and  mere  punishment  arbitrarily  in- 
flicted will  most  assuredly  fail  of  producing  reformation. — If  it 
were  necessary  we  could  adduce  a  hundred  examples,  and  vary 
them  at  pleasure  to  prove  that  the  human  conscience  must  be 
awakened,  trained  and  instructed  to  make  it  a  fit  arbiter  of  our 
actions;  it  is  in  short  a  capacity 'in  our  soul  which,  like  all 
other  capacities,  would  lie  dormant  and  useless  if  not  called 
into  life  by  proper  education. — If  therefore  we  are  ignorant  of 
the  Bible,  if  our  education  has  been  of  that  nature  which  takes 
no  cognizance  of  our  accountability  to  a  higher  tribunal  than 
human  authority  :  how  is  it  possible  that  we  should  be  correct 
judges  of  our  own  conduct  ?  our  conscience,  it  is  true,  does  not 
accuse  us ;  but  is  it  not  because  it  is  uninformed,  torpid,  asleep  ? 
Our  repose  at  night  is  calm  and  undisturbed  ;  not  because  we 
have  done  no  wrong,  but  simply  because  we  are  not  alive  to 
its  existence  ;  our  reflections  by  day  are  not  disturbed  by  a  con- 
sciousness of  sin,  only  because  we  are  not  informed  of  the  acts 
that  are  sinful.  If  now  a  man  who  proclaims  the  word  of  sal- 
vation to  his  brother  were  to  admonish  him  to  beware  of  the 
wrath  that  is  impending,  would  he  be  properly  answered  that 
the  sinner's  conscience  does  not  accuse  him  of  wrong  ?  Assu- 
redly not ;  for  he  would  be  compelled  to  advance  that  the  sin- 
ner's ignorance  produces  this  self-satisfaction,  even  if  this  be 
real  and  not  assumed,  in  order  to  excuse  unto  men  fallible  like 
himself  his  misdeeds.  He  would  tell  the  sinner  that  he  ought 
to  search  the  word  of  God,  compare  every  action  by  that  uni- 
versal standard  of  righteousness,  and  look  with  humility  into 
his  past  conduct  to  see  whether  his  conscience  has  not  been 
burdened  with  many  a  deed,  for  which  he  has  rendered  himself 
accountable.  If  one  were  farther  to  say,  that  his  parents  before 
him  had  done  as  he  does  now,  that  he  has  never  been  taught 
to  look  upon  the  like  things  as  sinful :  what  can  such  excuse 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  157 

avail  ?  We  will  admit,  for  argument's  sake,  that  his  ignorance 
hitherto  might  perhaps  plead  an  extenuation  for  him  ;  but  he  is 
no  longer  ignqrant  as  soon  as  his  attention  has  been  called  to 
his  sinfulness.  He  before  knew  not  that  he  offended,  and  his 
sin  was  therefore  unconscious ;  he  was  not  accused  by  the  in- 
ward monitor,  because  the  monitor  himself  was  ignorant ;  but 
now  conscientiousness  has  been  awakened,  a  new  light  has 
been  kindled  in  his  breast,  and  guilt  henceforward  will  attach 
to  every  departure  from  the  right  marked  out  by  the  Bible. 
For  so  we  read  in  Ezekiel  iii.  19  :"  Yet  if  thou  warn  the 
wicked,  and  he  turn  not  from  his  wickedness,  nor  from  his 
wicked  way,  he  shall  die  in  his  iniquity  ;  but  thou  hast  delivered 
thy  soul."  It  thus  will  appeaV  that  perseverance  in  any  wicked- 
ness after  instruction  has  been  given  is  not,  cannot  be  availing 
to  save  the  soul  from  death. — But  let  the  transgressor  open  his 
ears  to  instruction,  let  him  alarm  his  conscience  when  he  listens 
to  the  admonition  that  divine  grace  permits  to  be  addressed  to 
him  ;  and  surely  he  will  accuse  himself  of  the  wrong  he  has 
done,  though  before  then  he  was  not  aware  of  sin,  not  alive  to 
iniquity  ;  and  abhorring  the  filthiness  of  his  ways  he  will  hasten 
to  the  waters  of  cleanliness,  even  the  word  of  God  and  his  holy 
spirit,  and  endeavour  to  wash  away  all  the  pollution  which 
adheres  to  him,  and  make  himself  a  new  heart,  and  become  a 
member  of  the  brotherhood  of  those  who  fear  the  Lord,  and 
have  a  regard  to  his  name.  This  change  of  conduct  will  have 
also  the  farther  effect  of  producing  a  thirst  for  more  extended 
instruction  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  and  his  law  ;  it  will  incite 
the  regenerated  son  of  man  to  lay  up  a  treasure,  whence  he 
may  at  all  times  draw  sustenance  to  invigorate  himself  when 
temptation  and  opportunity  to  transgress  again  present  them- 
selves ;  and  as  formerly  his  ignorance  made  him  torpid  and 
unconscious,  his  new  zeal  and  increased  knowledge  will  render 
him  quick  in  perceiving  any  and  every  remissness  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  duties ;  and  he  will  no  longer  boast  of  that  hardy 
indifference  which  is  nothing  else  than  a  living  moral  death, 
but  will  acknowledge  that  he  now  fears  to  offend,  that  he  now 
dreads  incurring  divine  wrath ;  yet  that  withal  he  experiences 
more  real  tranquillity,  more  real  joy  whenever  an  act  of  virtue  is 
accomplished ;  for  he  now  bears  within  him  the  conviction  that 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

he  is  within  the  operation  of  the  moral  life  which  is  alone  found 
in  the  words,  and  in  the  obedience  to  the  commands,  of  the  law 
of  our  God  I 

On  former  occasions  we  have  examined  the  causes  of  sin, 
in  so  far  as  they  produce  the  actions  which  are  contrary  to 
the  commandments.  It  is  not  requisite  at  present  to  go  again 
over  the  whole  ground,  and  we  will  confine  ourselves  merely 
to  the  obstacle  which  "  stubbornness"  lays  in  the  way  of  a 
thorough  reformation. — It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  habit  makes 
us  forget  either  the  good  or  bad  qualities,  either  physical  or 
moral,  of  any  thing  which  is  placed  within  our  sphere  of  action 
or  enjoyment.  The  sensation  becomes  blunted  by  constant  re- 
petition, till  at  length  we  lose  sight  of  the  very  nature  of  the 
thing  before  us.  The  delicate  ear  of  the  musician  will  detect 
errors  and  jarring  discords  in  the  sounds  which  delight  the  un- 
initiated. The  latter  has  enjoyed  his  false  melody  so  long,  that 
he  wishes  no  better ;  the  former  however  is  at  once  aware  of  its 
blemishes,  and  he  therefore  justly  condemns  it,  and  wonders  how 
such  a  mass  of  inconsistencies  can  please  any  human  ear. — 
With  regard  to  taste,  even  with  entire  nations,  the  difference  is 
equally  great.  The  food  which  shocks  many  as  absolutely  dis- 
gusting, has  been  converted  by  habit  into  a  delicacy  to  many 
others. — The  same  is  the  case  with  dress  and  ornament.  Some 
forms  subject  themselves  to  pressure  which  constant  practice 
alone  can  render  tolerable ;  and  some  again  require  a  large  su- 
perfluity of  garments,  which  others  would,  as  they  think  justly, 
consider  a  useless  burden  and  injurious  to  the  free  and  active 
use  of  the  limbs. — But  in  the  moral  world  habit  has  no  less  an 
affect  on  the  mind.  Whatever  we  have  practised  from  our  in- 
fancy will  become  natural  to  us,  and  we  will  often  wonder  how 
it  is  that  any  one  can  think  even  of  differing  from  the  views  we 
have  taken. — Any  act,  when  first  we  do  it,  may  appear  either 
ridiculous,  or  superfluous ;  but  if  we  repeat  it,  we  shall  con- 
stantly feel  less  of  strangeness  in  it,  and  we  shall  lose  at  last  all 
sense  of  its  either  being  a  matter  of  merriment  or  extrava- 
gance. The  first  transgression  accordingly  which  we  permit 
ourselves  causes  doubtlessly  a  severe  struggle  and  self-accusa- 
tion ;  but  if  we  repeat  it  often,  we  by  degrees  will  cease  feeling 
the  like  unpleasant  sensations  to  mar  our  unnatural  enjoyments-. 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

When  a  man  has  therefore  for  a  length  of  time  been  sinning, 
he  has  no  longer  any  pleasure  in  the  pursuit  of  virtue,  because 
this  course  would  deprive  him  necessarily  of  the  things  which 
habit  has  rendered  requisite  to  his  perverted  taste ;  or  because 
it  will  impose  on  him  duties  the  exercise  of  which  is  foreign, 
and,  therefore,  unpalatable  to  him.  He  for  this  reason  perse- 
veres ;  not  because  he  is  ignorant  that  the  Bible  condemns  his 
conduct,  but  because  he  is  used  to  sinning. — Now  it  so  happens 
that  most  men  are  either  too  indolent  to  institute  a  rigid  self- 
examination,  or  are  too  proud  to  confess  that  such  a  search  has 
resulted  in  convicting  them  of  guilt.  They  at  all  events  profess 
outwardly  that  they  have  perceived  nothing  in  their  conduct 
deserving  of  blame,  or  which  should  be  altered.  They  therefore 
continue  to  do  as  they  are  wont,  and  pass  their  days  in  life-de- 
stroying follies. — But  could  this  pride,  or  this  pride  and  indo- 
lence combined,  be  once  humbled,  could  the  creature  but  once 
acknowlege  in  secret  before  God  and  in  public  before  men,  that 
the  past  acts  were  habits  of  sin  and  iniquity ;  and  could  the 
sinner,  thus  confessed,  but  once  be  brought  to  break  off  from 
unlawful  pleasures  and  seek  to  find  delight  in  the  exercise  of 
religious  duties,  and  could  all  Israel,  could  all  mankind  be  in- 
duced to  embrace  the  happiness  resulting  from  piety  and  devo- 
tion :  how  readily  would  a  thorough  reformation  be  effected  in 
every  individual,  and  how  rapidly  would  the  empire  of  sin  be 
banished  from  the  face  of  the  earth  ! 

So  many  appeals  are  addressed  to  us  to  act  after  this  manner; 
so  much  love  is  expressed  by  Scripture  towards  sinful  man ;  so 
much  regret  is  recorded  about  the  death  of  the  unrighteous : 
that  one  would  think  that  every  Israelite  would  gladly  be  pious, 
or,  if  he  has  offended,  endeavour  to  merit  a  return  of  divine 
favour.  But  alas !  the  human  heart  is  too  proud,  habit  is  too 
inveterate,  passions  are  too  dominant,  for  us  to  humble  our- 
selves and  to  cast  off  the  evil  of  our  ways ;  we  cling  with  a 
bold  front  to  iniquity,  and  will  not  listen  to  the  voice  of  admo- 
nition that  is  addressed  to  us.  But  why  should  we  remain 
stubborn  ?  what  is  there  so  lovely  in  sin  ?  what  so  absurd  in 
piety,  that  we  should  choose  the  first  and  reject  the  other?  why 
should  not  the  dust  of  the  earth  stand  humbled  before  the 
Creator?  why  should  the  child  not  fly  for  protection  to  the 

VOL.  in. — 15 


170  SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

everlasting  Father  1 — Brethren  !  there  is  nothing  disgraceful  in 
our  publicly  confessing  that  we  have  acted  unlawfully,  if  we 
are  sincere  in  our  regret ;  there  is  nothing  humiliating  to  ac- 
knowledge that  we  condemn  our  past  conduct,  when  we  feel  a 
conviction  of  sin.  Let  us  reflect,  that  the  disgrace  is  not  in  the 
change  but  in  the  perseverance  in  doing  wrong;  that  the  humi- 
liation now  endured  before  those  equally  mortal  and  fallible 
with  ourselves  is  infinitely  less  than  if  our  guilty  spirit  should 
stand  abashed  before  the  unending  One,  with  all  its  sins  un- 
atoned,  with  all  its  transgressions  unconfessed.  But  even  the 
mortification  of  confessing  by  a  change  of  conduct  that  we 
thought  ourselves  hitherto  in  the  wrong  will  soon  lose  all  its 
disagreeable  effects,  if  we  but  resolutely  determine  to  disregard 
the  sneers  and  malicious  remarks  of  our  associates.  Let  them 
say,  that  we  are  grown  wonderfully  pious,  that  we  are  be- 
coming saints,  that  we  are  no  longer  pleasant  companions; 
what  do  we  suffer  by  this?  Certainly  not  any  injury  which  is 
worth  minding ;  it  is  merely  a  little  ridicule,  perhaps  a  little 
pleasant  raillery,  which  we  can  easily  silence,  if  we  candidly 
state  that  such  jests  are  unpleasant  to  'us,  since  we  are  sincere 
and  serious  in  the  new  mode  of  life  we  have  adopted.  And 
grant,  that  we  should  all  the  remainder  of  our  days  be  exposed 
to  the  jeers  of  the  ungodly,  or  to  the  taunts  of  our  friends  who 
may  perhaps  be  inclined  to  censure  our  strict  observance  and 
to  wonder  at  the  great  change  that  has  taken  place  within  us : 
admit  that  such  taunts  may  have  a  disagreeable  effect  upon  a 
sensitive  and  irascible  mind  in  seeing  its  best  acts  so  misinter- 
preted and  its  motive  so  falsely  explained  :  still  is  even  this  more 
readily  borne  than  the  constant  self-accusation  of  the  sinner 
when  his  attention  has  been  awakened ;  and  may  not  the  un- 
charitable remarks  of  a  selfish  world  be  the  requisite  temptation 
which  our  new-born  zeal  has  to  encounter  ? — Moreover,  is  not 
virtue  always  exposed  to  the  same  trials  ?  do  not  those  who 
never  grievously  sin  meet  with  similar  provocations  in  their  at- 
tempts at  leading  a  godly  life?  What  reason  then  has  the  sin- 
ner to  dread  these  annoyances  more  than  they  who  have  never 
sinned,  if  such  can  be  found  ? — He  will  say  perhaps,  that  the 
latter  are  so  used  to  obedience  that  it  costs  them  no  efforts  to 
persevere  in  righteousness,  and  that  they  are  easily  able  to  dis- 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  m 

regard  the  jibes  of  their  friends.  But  this  is  not  altogether 
true.  No  one  is  so  righteous  that  he  is  in  no  danger  of  falling  ; 
no  one  is  so  perfect  but  he  feels  unpleasantly  if  he  is  exposed  to 
detraction  and  ridicule  ;  it  is  easily  said  that  one  has  a  hearty 
contempt  for  malice  and  slander  ;  but  I  fear  that  but  few  in- 
deed actually  are  so  far  removed  above  human  frailty  as  to 
feel  really  the  contempt  they  express.  —  In  short,  it  is  as  much 
the  duty  of  the  sinner  to  look  towards  the  law  of  God  for  in- 
struction undeterred  by  the  shame  of  appearing  self-accused 
before  the  world,  as  of  the  always  righteous  to  be  mindful,  and 
to  persevere  in  the  exercise  of,  the  duties  enjoined  in  the  same 
law.  —  And  if  therefore  we  wish  truly  to  escape  condemnation 
for  the  sins  we  have  done  :  we  must  remove  the  hardness  of 
disobedience  from  our  soul,  expose  our  shame,  if  need  be,  before 
all  the  world,  and  pursue  the  way  of  righteousness  just  as  we  are 
taught  in  the  words  of  salvation.  —  Let  us  consider  moreover  at 
whose  request,  yes  request  is  the  word,  we  are  thus  to  bid  de- 
fiance to  the  world  !  It  is  not  a  man  who  calls  us  to  him,  not 
a  mortal  whose  power  is  limited,  whose  days  are  brief;  but  our 
God,  the  Everlasting,  the  Omnipotent,  the  Omnipresent.  It  is 
He  who  appeals  to  our  better  judgment,  to  our  love  for  his 
favour,  to  our  fear  of  his  power.  He  tells  us  to  make  ourselves 
familiar  with  his  precepts,  and  to  throw  off  our  stubbornness; 
He  appeals  to  us  to  change  our  actions  if  there  is  evil  in  them, 
and  to  return  unto  the  good  which  we  have  forsaken.  And  we 
are  promised,  that  such  an  open  profession  will  meet  its  reward, 
in  the  return  of  the  grace  of  the  Lord  which  we  have  lost  by 
our  transgression.  For  thus  says  the  prophet  : 


invm  iruop  iNsom  'n  n** 
inarm  'n  hx  wi  vnatrno  pK  B»JO  i:m 

:  'T  'i  n":  rrjw     ;  niSoS  HST  O  WnS 

"  Seek  ye  the  Lord,  while  He  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  Him,  while  He 
is  near.  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts,  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord  and  He  will  have  mercy  upon 
him,  and  to  our  God,  for  He  will  abundantly  pardon."  Isa.  Iv.  6,  1. 

In  these  few  expressive  words  the  whole  scope  of  repentance 


172  SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

is  clearly  laid  before  us.     "  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way ;" 
suppose  a  traveller  has  strayed  from  the  proper  road  into  a 
barren  trackless  desert,  where  death  threatens  him  at  every 
step  he  takes ;  would  he  be  wise  to  stop  where  he  is,  or  to  con- 
tinue his  perilous  journey  despite  of  all  dangers  which  surround 
him,  if  a  benevolent  sage  were  to  appear  and  offer  to  lead  him 
to  the  secure  highway  in  a  fertile  district  whence  he   might 
reach  the  haven  of  his  destiny  in  peace  and  safety  ?     We  would 
assuredly  say  that  his  blood  be  on  his  own  head,  if  he  disregards 
the  admonition  and  refuses  to  be  led  by  his  kind  conductor. 
Just  the  same  is  the  appeal  to  the  sinner.     He  has  strayed  from 
the  road  of  the  law  which  is  the  way  to  salvation;  he  has  de- 
viated into  the  howling  desert  of  transgression,  which  is  unpro- 
ductive of  contentment  and  charged  with  death  and  destruction, 
and  every  act  which  he  perpetrates  when  under  the  dominion 
of  sin  is  plunging  him  deeper  into  the  abyss  of  hopeless  degra- 
dation.    But  he  is  met  in  this  miserable  condition  by  the  grace 
of  the  Ancient  of  days,  who  addresses  him  in  endearing  terms 
of  love  through  the  words  of  Scriptures  and  the  advice  of  the 
friends  of  man,  the  teachers  of  the  word,  and  the  pious  asso- 
ciates whom  no  one  is  altogether  without,  to  return  to  the  high- 
way of  salvation  in  the  law  which,  as  we  have  said,  is  the 
course  of  life :  what  should  he  do,  but  seize  the  favourable  op- 
portunity which  is  offered  him,  and  unite  himself  to  the  God 
from  whose  service  he  has  strayed  ?    "  And,"  says  the  prophet, 
"  (let)  the  unrighteous  man  (forsake)  his  thoughts ;"  yes,  if  we 
are  anxious  to  be  secure  in  our  renewed  pursuit  of  righteous- 
ness, we  must  not  resort  to  half-measures,  to  say  "  we  have  re- 
pented for  one  day,  we  are  now  again  in  favour  with  the  Lord." 
This  course  is  but  a  mockery  of  Providence ;  He  cannot  be  sa- 
tisfied with  an  attempt  to  defraud  Him  by  a  pretended  conver- 
sion, by  an  evident  exhibition  of  an  ephemeral  penance  which 
is  forgotten  when  the  day  has  closed.     But  how  are  we  to  re- 
pent ?     Even  as  the  prophet  says,  by  first  pretermitting  our  sin- 
ful deeds  and  then  purifying  our  iniquitous  thoughts.     We  must 
abhor  sin  altogether,  we  must  feel  that  we  are  unworthy  through 
transgression  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  that  through  obedience 
alone,  continued  during  the  remainder  of  our  life,  we  can  be 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  173 

accepted.  We  must  cast  no  longing,  lingering  look  behind,  as  we 
are  retracing  our  steps ;  but  speed  onward,  onward  in  righteous- 
ness, farther,  farther  from  transgression.  And  as  when  sinning 
we  hastened  by  accelerated  steps  after  we  had  once  yielded 
ourselves  to  our  desires  :  so  will  we  be  strengthened,  as  we  pro- 
ceed, to  advance  faster  and  faster  in  the  pursuit  of  righteous- 
ness ;  for  the  forsaking  of  our  wicked  thoughts,  or  in  other 
words  the  pleasure  we  at  one  time  felt  in  transgressing,  will 
impel  us  to  be  active  in  righteousness,  and  to  grow  stronger  in 
grace  and  holiness. — And  what  will  be  the  result?  "Let  him 
return  unto  the  Lord,  and  He  will  have  mercy  on  him."  The 
sinner,  when  he  is  aroused  to  self-condemnation,  must  not  de- 
spair of  mercy  ;  he  must  not  appeal  to  the  magnitude  or  number 
of  his  misdeeds  as  a  proof  that  he  cannot  return,  since  to  him 
no  atonement  can  be  given.  No,  this  is  not  the  doctrine  which 
the  Bible  teaches ;  all  may  be  received  into  favour,  all  should 
therefore  return.  Who  is  there  that  has  stood  in  the  council  of 
the  Lord,  and  will  set  a  measure  to  his  bounty?  who  dares  to 
deny  to  man  the  hope  which  God  himself  has  inspired  ?  No  ! 
the  mercy  of  God  is  extended  to  all  who  come,  his  forgiveness  is 
not  exhausted,  and  never  will  be  exhausted.  He  has  created 
mankind  for  happiness,  not  destruction ;  but  it  is  their  business 
to  earn  salvation  for  themselves,  at  first,  by  obedience,  and  if 
they  have  sinned,  by  repentance.  Still  let  no  man  flatter  him- 
self that  he  will  escape  condemnation  if  he  does  not  repent;  for 
we  are  told  that  impenitence  will  receive  the  displeasure  of  our 
God,  who  is  everliving  and  cognizant  of  all  our  deeds.  We 
cannot  escape,  except  by  embracing  the  call,  the  invitation  to 
mercy  addressed  to  us ;  let  us  all  therefore  seek  the  Lord  while 
He  may  be  found,  before  our  life  draws  to  a  close ;  let  all  wait 
on  Him  while  He  is  nigh,  which  is  all  the  days  of  our  existence ; 
but  chiefly  at  the  season  of  forgiveness  which  He  has  instituted 
as  a  time  of  atonement  for  Israel  to  their  latest  generation.  Let 
us  be  convinced,  that  it  is  in  our  power  to  be  numbered  among 
the  righteous  and  the  accepted,  the  elect  of  God,  because  they 
have  done  his  will,  and  purified  their  thoughts  from  evil.  Let 
there  be  no  holding  back,  no  timidity ;  for  what  have  we  to 
fear,  if  we  act  rightly  ?  and  what  have  we  not  to  dread,  if  we 
are  stubborn  and  persevering  in  sin  ? 

15* 


174  SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE. 

O  !  that  all  Israel  therefore  would  hasten  forward  to  embrace 
the  tree  of  life  which  the  Lord  has  planted  for  them ;  how 
happy  a  season  of  atonement  would  this  be,  if  all  were  to  return 
in  truth  to  the  fold  of  the  great  Shepherd  !     There  are  those 
whose  hands  are  defiled  by  fraud  and  unjust  gain  :  let  them  ask 
for  forgiveness  of  their  injured  neighbour,  make  restitution  for 
the  wrong  they  have  done,  abhor  their  deceitful  way,  and  then 
ask  of  the  Lord  to  pardon  their  sin,  according  to  his  mercy. — 
There  are  they  who  have  caused  dissension  and  strife  among 
brothers :  let  them  too  beware  of  the  wrath — they  have  grie- 
vously offended ;  they  must  strive  to  heal  the  breach  they  have 
caused  ;  they  must  confess  that  they  have  acted  treacherously, 
and  humble  themselves  to  their  injured  fellow-mortals,  before 
they  appeal  to  Heaven  for  pardon  and  forgiveness. — There  are 
they  who  have  polluted  themselves  by  food  which  the  Scrip- 
tures call  an  abomination  :  they  are  now  warned  that  their  way 
is  sinful,  that  it  is  time  to  serve  the  Creator  and  not  strive  unto 
the  end  of  their  days  to  satisfy  a  mere  carnal  craving  for  use- 
less and  sinful  enjoyments  ;  and  if  they  have  forsaken  this  evil, 
then  let  them  too  join  the  crowd  of  worshippers,  and  appeal  for 
atonement  from  the  Source  of  all  mercy.    There  are  those  who 
have  neglected  the  covenant  of  Abraham  ;  their  sons  bear  not 
the  impression  of  the  seal  which  is  to  mark  them  servants  of 
the  Most  High ;  they  have  in  this  manner  spoken  by  their  acts, 
that  they  wish  not  to  be  of  Israel,  desire  for  no  portion  in  the 
law,  the  inheritance  of  the  congregation  of  Jacob  ;  they  have 
braved  the  Lord,  and  no  punishment  has  hitherto  reached  them  : 
but  let  them  too  beware ;  the  justice  of  God  sleeps  not — He 
gives  them  time  for  repentance,  He  will  not  destroy  them,  while 
there  is  hope  of  amendment ;  but  surely  the  judgment  will  at 
length  be  executed,  and  the  outraged  covenant  will  see  ven- 
geance executed  upon  the  transgressors.     Let  these  also  there- 
fore seek  the  Lord  while  He  may  be  found,  come  to  his  foot- 
stool with  prayer  and  humiliation,  and  bring  their  offspring  as 
an  acceptable  offering  into  the  midst  of  the  congregation  of  the 
Lord,  and  rear  them,  as  they  themselves  were,  to  know  that 
they  are  of  Israel,  and  their  hopes  are  bound  up  in  Israel's 
hope. — And  they  who  have  violated  the  Sabbaths  of  the  Lord, 
do  they  not  discover  that  they  have  sinned  long  enough,  that 


SALVATION  THROUGH  REPENTANCE.  175 

no  satisfaction  attends  a  constant  toiling,  a  labour  uninterrupted 
by  a  spiritual  refreshing  at  the  house  of  God  ?  What  will  their 
unlawful  gains  avail  when  the  day  of  trial  at  length  arrives  ? 
what  will  their  souls  say  when  they  must  answer  the  dread 
Judge  when  demanding  an  account  of  their  doings  whilst  in 
this  state  of  probation  1  Let  these  also  return  from  their  evil ; 
God  is  near  to  their  pra;,  ers,  if  they  will  sincerely  repent  and 
sin  no  more ;  they  too  will  be  accepted,  if  they  forsake  their 
sinful  way  and  no  longer  cling  to  their  thoughts  which  only 
counsel  evil  and  will  debar  them  from  an  entrance  into  the 
gates  of  everlasting  life. 

Brethren  !  by  the  favour  of  God  we  have  been  preserved  to 
celebrate  the  commencement  of  another  year ;  his  mercy  has 
not  been  withheld  from  the  labour  of  our  hands ;  as  yet  it  is 
time  to  seek  righteousness !  the  portals  of  mercy  are  not  yet 
closed !  But  who  will  warrant  us  that  another  year  will  be 
allotted  to  any  one  here  present  ?  how  are  we  to  know  who  of 
us  will  be  soon  carried  to  the  grave  ?  Should  we  not,  therefore, 
feel  alarmed  at  the  state  of  uncertainty  which  is  ever  extended 
over  human  happiness,  over  human  life  ?  were  it  not  time  there- 
fore that  we  all  should  look  to  our  deeds,  pluck  thence  the  evil 
which  threatens  our  peace,  and  seek  for  pardon  for  our  past 
misconduct  ?  Let  no  one  say,  that  we  have  not  sinned,  indi- 
vidually and  collectively ;  there  is  sin  in  the  houses,  in  private 
recesses,  in  public  assemblies,  in  the  dark  of  night,  in  the  noon 
of  day  !  It  is  therefore  the  business  of  all  to  assist  in  clearing 
from  briars  and  thorns  the  highway  of  salvation,  to  purify  them- 
selves and  to  help  in  cleansing  others.  Perhaps  we  may  be 
received  in  favour,  perhaps  the  evil  which  we  have  merited 
may  be  converted  into  blessing,  if  the  Lord  sees  that  we  are 
entire  with  Him,  and  sincere  in  his  service.  Perhaps  in  his 
mercy  He  may  visit  the  outcast  daughter  of  Zion,  and  build  up 
her  desolate  places  and  heal  up  the  breaches  in  her  sanctuary 
which  the  heathen  have  trampled  down  in  their  triumph,  be- 
cause we  had  sinned.  And  how  happy  would  we  then  dwell ! 
protected  by  the  law  of  God,  governed  by  his  own  anointed  ! 
No  longer  would  our  brothers  linger  in  captivity,  and  writhe 
under  the  lash  of  the  persecutor ;  and  righteousness  and  truth 
would  guide  us  all  onward  to  the  realms  of  bliss,  to  the  favour 


176  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

of  God. — O  !  let  this  holy  aim  be  our  desire  !  let  us  return  to 
our  Father,  who  speaks  to  us  through  his  word,  who  appeals 
to  us  through  our  love  of  life,  through  our  hope  of  salvation ! 
Let  us,  beloved  brethren  !  devote  ourselves  to  his  service,  pro- 
claim aloud  that  to  Him  alone  we  will  cling,  that  we  will  hence- 
forward seek  in  his  law  alone  for  instruction,  and  endeavour  to 
offend  no  more.  Then  will  we  be  received  as  was  David  re- 
ceived, our  sin  will  be  wiped  off,  and  we  will  not  die  ;  but  live 
and  stand  regenerated  before  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  and 
amidst  the  assembly  of  the  saints  who  have  done  his  will. 

Bless  us,  O  our  God  !  as  Thou  didst  bless  our  fathers ;  and 
look  not  to  our  iniquity,  but  forgive  us,  even  as  Thou  hast  for- 
given the  sinning  seed  of  Adam  from  the  beginning  until  now. 
Accept  our  prayer,  and  cause  thy  word  to  be  sweet  unto  us  ; 
that  we  all  may  be  induced  to  return  from  our  evil  ways,  and 
seek  for  life  in  thy  presence,  by  a  submission  to  thy  holy  will, 
which  Thou  hast  made  known  to  us  through  thy  servants  the 
prophets.  Amen. 

Tishry  5th 
October 2d 


DISCOURSE  XV. 

THE  COVENANT  OF   ABRAHAM. 

BLESSED  God,  the  omnipotent  I  AM  !  whose  are  all  existing 
things,  whose  happiness  is  immeasurable,  whose  goodness  is 
without  ending,  bless  us  as  ever  Thou  didst  bless  the  seed  of 
Abraham  thy  beloved ;  be  with  us  in  the  moments  of  joy,  be 
our  stay  in  the  hours  of  sorrow  ;  watch  over  us  when  we  are 
obedient,  and  reject  us  not  when  we  forsake  thy  covenant. 
Have  regard  to  our  sinful  nature,  remember  that  we  are  flesh, 


THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM.  177 

and  be  mindful  that  we  are  children  of  those  holy  ones  of  for- 
mer years,  whose  devotion  and  piety  Thou  promisedst  to  pre- 
serve unto  a  thousand  generations.  Give  us  then  thy  blessing, 
grant  us  thy  salvation,  and  cause  that  from  us  too  may  yet 
spring' generation  after  generation  of  true  sons  of  Israel,  who 
will  sanctify  thy  name,  even  as  it  is  sanctified  by  thy  holy  mes- 
sengers, who  declare  Thee  their  God  and  Creator,  and  pro- 
claim :  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the  whole  earth 
is  full  of  his  glory."  Be  this  thy  will.  Arnen. 

BRETHREN ! 

Were  life  never  beset  with  dangers,  were  there  no  critical 
situations  during  the  course  of  our  existence  :  then  would  we 
require  no  prudence  to  guide  us  correctly,  no  instruction  to  tell 
us  how  to  proceed  in  our  plans.  So  likewise,  were  religion 
nothing  but  an  admission  of  certain  truths,  or  an  exercise  of 
nothing  but  pleasant  duties :  no  admonition,  no  warnings,  no 
rewards,  no  punishments  would  be  requisite  to  render  us  all 
religious.  If  this  were  so,  then  life  on  the  one  hand  would  pass 
away  in  one  uniform  state  of  inaction  ;  and  religion  would  fail 
of  improving  the  soul,  or  of  tending  to  eradicate  the  evil  pro- 
pensities inherent  in  our  nature. — But  life  is  one  constant  suc- 
cession of  dangers  and  trials ;  all  our  energies  are  perpetually 
called  into  action  to  ward  off  some  unpleasant  event  or  to  com- 
bat with  some  pressing  difficulty;  the  mind  thus  becomes 
quickened,  the  inventive  faculties  are  excited ;  and  mankind 
in  consequence  are  always  hastening  forward  to  a  state  of 
change  and  improvement,  no  matter  whether  the  latter  be  either 
fancied  or  real.  If  occasionally  the  result  of  such  exertion 
must  be  admitted  to  be  injurious  to  the  great  mass :  still  it  is 
more  frequently  highly  useful  and  even  necessary,  as  experience 
has  amply  proved,  to  infuse  life  into  the  stagnant  state  of  inac- 
tion or  torpid  submission  to  misrule. — The  same  is  the  case 
with  religion ;  our  souls  are  susceptible  of  improvement,  and 
our  disposition  though  inclined  to  sinfulness  can  be  counteracted, 
if  we  have  a  constant  watch  over  ourselves,  and  endeavour  to 
shape  our  conduct  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  God. 

Now  let  us  inquire  what  it  is  which  we  naturally  seek  ?  and 
what  it  is  which  we  are  naturally  inclined  to  avoid  ?  On  the  one 


178  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

hand,  we  seek  pleasure,  ease,  and  enjoyment ;  on  the  other  we 
have  an  aversion  to  sorrow,  labour,  and  pain.  But  let  us  ask, 
is  it  not  a  moral  labour  to  overcome  anger  ?  the  desire  for  any 
thing  unlawful  ?  Only  be  placed  in  a  situation  where  your  self- 
love  and  authority  have  been  deeply  wounded,  where  the 
offender  is  within  your  reach  for  reproof  or  punishment :  and 
the  natural  impulse  would  be  to  give  way  to  resentment,  and 
to  let  anger  take  its  course  of  violence  and  destruction.  But 
religion  steps  in  and  tells  you  to  labour  hard  against  your  im- 
pulse, to  put  a  bridle  on  your  temper,  and  to  obtain  a  conquest 
over  yourselves,  even  at  the  expense  of  your  love  of  self. — Or 
be  placed  in  a  situation  where  your  passions  for  unlawful  en- 
joyment are  strongly  incited,  where  the  chances  of  detection 
are  small>  the  pleasure  great  and  immediate,  the  opportunity 
actually  before  you  though  generally  of  rare  occurrence  :  your 
nature  is  drawn  to  sin  ;  but  the  law  of  God  appeals  to  you  to 
beware,  to  hesitate,  to  reflect  and  to  renounce  your  wishes,  in 
obedience  to  a  higher  Will,  to  a  superior  Authority.  It  is 
doubtlessly  true  that  the  resistance  of  human  nature  in  both 
instances  mentioned  will  be  very  great,  the  love  of  ease  and 
enjoyment  will  strongly  appeal  for  gratification  ;  but  the  wisely 
thinking  will  nevertheless  readily  distinguish  that  the  labour  of 
self-conquest  and  the  pain  of  suppressing  the  passions  are  the 
only  means  to  prevent  them  from  feeling  hereafter  the  fruits  of 
indulgence — self-abasement,  shame  and  degradation. 

If  now  any  one  will  not  obey  the  law  of  God,  because  it  con- 
tains precepts  the  execution  of  which  is  painful,  laborious  and 
unpleasant ;  if  one  avers  that  the  God  of  love  could  not  have 
demanded  bodily  afflictions  as  a  part  of  his  service :  we  will 
tell  him,  that  he  does  not  understand  the  why  of  these  institu- 
tions ;  they  are  intended  to  teach  us  to  subdue  our  natures,  to 
overcome  our  love  of  ease  and  pleasure,  to  inure  ourselves  to 
the  sorrows  and  cares  with  which  our  life  is  beset  from  its  very 
commencement,  in  order  that  we  may  become  wiser  and  bet- 
ter, and  more  fitted  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  is  to  be 
our  home  unto  everlasting,  our  residence  unto  the  utmost  length 
of  days. — All  that  is  wanting  to  ensure  a  proper  understanding 
of  these  ordinances  is  a  deep-seated  faith,  or  a  conviction  of 
the  goodness  and  truth  of  the  Lord  in  all  He  does,  in  all  He 


THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 


179 


says ; — that  He  will  ordain  nothing  which  is  not  wise,  that  He 
will  demand  nothing  at  our  hands  which  is  not  for  our  own 
improvement.  Were  it  now,  brethren  !  that  our  own  wisdom 
could  be  so  extended  as  to  understand  the  operation  of  outward 
nature  and  the  workings  of  our  own  mind  ;  could  we  precisely 
know  what  is  beneficial,  what  is  hurtful,  how  far  one  thing  may 
be  safely  used,  and  how  far  we  could  without  danger  proceed 
in  our  intended  plans :  then  indeed  might  we  be  permitted  to 
dive  into  the  recesses  of  religious  truths,  and  ask  for  every  pre- 
cept in  the  law  :  "  Why  is  this  so  ?"  But  how  does  the  case 
stand  1  The  knowledge  we  have  of  our  own  selves  is  very 
limited  ;  the  surface  only  of  things  is  laid  open  to  our  view  ;  \ve 
taste,  we  eat,  we  drink,  we  revel,  without  knowing  whether 
there  is  life  or  death  lurking  amidst  our  joy  ;  we  move  onward 
unconscious  whether  the  next  step  will  bring  us  to  our  end. 
And  we  will  ask  of  God,  why  He  so  ordained  it  in  his  law  ?  we, 
the  short  of  days,  the  limited  in  knowledge,  will  know  the  rea- 
son for  every  precept  before  we  act  ?  How  presumptuous,  how 
foolish  is  such  a  thought !  The  rather,  we  should  have  confi- 
dence, the  assurance  I  ought  to  say,  that  every  precept  is  given 
for  a  wise  purpose,  for  a  beneficent  end  ;  and  we  should  obey 
it  with  feelings  of  thankfulness  that  the  Omnipotent  was  pleased 
to  point  out  to  us  the  way  we  should  go  in  order  to  obtain  his 
approbation.  If  now  the  execution  of  any  one  commandment 
should  involve  the  sacrifice  of  personal  ease,  and  the  endurance 
of  some  little  bodily  pain  :  it  will  be  nothing  more  in  effect  but 
that  we  have  an  opportunity  to  prove,  that  our  love  of  God  is 
something  more  than  a  love  of  ease  and  self-indulgence ;  that 
our  religious  hope  is  something  holier  than  a  mere  mercenary 
feeling  ;  and  that  we  can  love  the  Lord  and  worship  Him,  even 
if  our  natural  sensations  have  to  be  first  subdued  before  we  can 
display  this  love  and  this  worship. 

Besides  all  this  we  may  maintain,  that  though  the  Bible  asks 
of  us  the  performance  of  duties  which  involve  bodily  afflictions, 
these  are  in  no  case  whatever  of  any  lasting  or  oppressive 
duration.  For  the  Lord  in  giving  us  his  law  wisely  apportioned 
our  duties  to  our  capacities ;  and  it  is  therefore  in  our  power 
to  obey  whenever  the  opportunity  offers,  unless  we  are  restrained 
by  circumstances  over  which  we  have  no  control,  which  pre- 


JQQ  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

sent  then  a  case  of  necessity,  or,  what  is  the  same,  an  excusa- 
ble neglect  of  our  positive  duties.  But  in  every  other  instance 
the  unpleasantness  of  an  obligation  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  acted  on  ;  for  we  should  consider  that  it  is  a  trial  of  our 
faith,  a  proving  of  our  nature,  to  show  whether  our  confidence 
in  God  is  sufficiently  firm  and  well  established  to  enable  us  to 
sacrifice  our  ease  and  inclination  in  obedience  to  his  will.  —  If 
now  we  obey,  we  have  slain  SIN  which  is  inherent  in  us  ;  we 
have  conquered  ourselves;  and  we  have  proved  that  we  are 
indeed  servants  of  the  Most  High.  But  if  we  fail,  we  have 
yielded  ourselves  slaves  to  sin  ;  we  have  been  remiss  in  the 
battle  for  righteousness,  and  have  proved  that  we  are  recreants 
in  the  service  of  Heaven.  On  the  one  hand  the  spirit  has 
prevailed  in  the  contest  with  the  flesh,  and  we  have  become 
children  of  light,  inheritors  of  salvation;  for  we  have  with- 
stood, even  as  is  the  will  of  our  Master  who  is  in  heaven.  On 
the  other  hand,  however,  the  flesh  has  prevailed,  the  spirit  is 
slain,  the  world  is  triumphant  ;  and  we  have  earned  for  our- 
selves immortal  disgrace,  and  the  lasting  displeasure  of  the  up- 
upright  Arbiter  who  will  judge  every  one  according  to  deeds. 

What  is  now  to  be  expected  from  us  ?  How  should  Israelites 
act?  —  Even  as  Abraham  did,  in  faith,  in  singleness  of  heart,  in 
submission  to  divine  will.  Before  to-day  the  character  of  this 
Patriach  has  been  presented  to  you  as  the  propagator  of  reli- 
gious knowledge,  as  the  harbinger  of  glorious  truths  to  a  be- 
nighted world.  Let  us  look  upon  him  now  in  the  light  of  the 
obedient  servant,  the  uncomplaining,  confiding  follower  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts.  —  We  read  in  our  lesson  of  this  day  as  follows  : 


'n  mn  CMB>  ytrrn  rutr  own  p 

HB>  Sx  ON  vh$  ")D*n  DTJN*  SN* 


»nna  ronsn 

:  '3  'K  T"' 


"  And  when  Abram  was  ninety  and  nine  years  old,  the  Lord  appeared 
to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  the  God  Almighty,  walk  before  me,  and 
be  thou  perfect.  And  I  will  give  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  I 
will  multiply  thee  exceedingly."  Genesis  xvii.  1,  2. 


THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM.  181 

How  greatly  had  Abram  been  blessed  in  all  worldly  things 
except  children ;  and  in  later  years  this  blessing  also  had  in  a 
measure  been  added  to  his  almost  overflowing  cup  of  happiness. 
— Did  he  covet  wealth  ?  he  was  possessed  of  every  thing  which 
constituted  riches  in  those  days. — Did  he  sigh  for  power?  this 
too  he  had,  for  he  was  foremost  among  the  chiefs  of  his  time. 
Did  he  desire  a  good  name?  this  also  he  possessed  in  an  emi- 
nent degree.     Moreover  he  was  pious,  and  had  been  permitted 
to  make  the  truth  that  was  his  known  to  others,  that  they  also 
might  seek  shelter  under  the  wings  of  Omnipotence,  and  for- 
sake the  worship  of  false  deities. — He  was  at  this  time  ninety- 
nine  years  old ;  more  than  half  of  his  life  had  already  passed 
away :  when  he  was  told,  that  as  yet  his  piety  had  not  been 
perfect,  and  that  with  all  his  devotion,  with  all  his  public  teach- 
ing, with  all  the  trials  he  had  to  encounter,  there  was  yet  some- 
thing more  to  be  done,  some  farther  requisite  to  holiness  was 
yet  expected  from  him.     Hitherto  the  trials  had  been  outward ; 
that  is  to  say,  whatever  had  happened  to  our  ancestor  was  the 
work  of  others,  which  he  had  to  encounter,  humanly  speaking, 
whether  he  would  or  not;  he  was  placed  in  circumstances 
which  permitted  him  no  other  course  of  conduct.     But  now  the 
trial  was  to  be  with  himself,  he  was  voluntarily  to  assume  the 
terms  of  the  covenant  which  the  Lord  was  about  to  make  with 
him.     Abram  fell  prostrate  before  the  awful  Appearance,  and 
the  word  was  vouchsafed  to  him,  and  he  was  told  how  he 
should  walk  before  God  and  be  perfect.     "This  is  my  covenant 
which  you  shall  observe  between  me  and  between  you  and  be- 
tween thy  seed  after  thee,  circumcise  unto  yourselves  every 
male."  (v.  10.)     Understand  well,  brethren !    Abraham  was  on 
the  verge  of  a  hundred  years,  he  had  all  along  thought  that  his 
course  was  pleasing  to  God,  and  up  to  this  moment  he  had 
never  yet  been  informed  that  circumcision  was  either  a  duty 
or  praiseworthy.     If  Abraham  now  had  been  of  those  whose 
faith  is  weak,  he  might  have  argued:  "  Why  am  I  at  this  late 
period  commanded  to  do  an  act  which  if  it  be  a  duty  ought  to 
have  been  revealed  to  me  years  ago  ?     Why  should  God  single 
out  a  matter  which  is  painful  and  unpleasant,  and  make  that  a 
sign  of  his  covenant  1     Could  He  not  have  told  me  of  my  duty 
much  earlier?  or  could  He  not  give  me  a  sign  which  is  of 
VOL.  HI. — 16 


J82  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

easier  attainment  and  more  consonant  with  my  feelings  ?"  But 
he,  the  first  of  the  children  of  the  East,  did  not  so  argue,  did  not 
so  set  up  his  judgment  above  the  wisdom  of  the  Lord.  He  was 
informed  that  he  was  not  yet  entire  with  God,  that  it  was  de- 
manded of  him  that  he  should  walk  before  the  Lord,  and  that 
he  should  assume  the  sign  of  the  covenant,  even  the  circumci- 
sion of  the  flesh :  and  he  obeyed ;  he  was  elated  with  the  thought 
that  he  at  length  had  an  opportunity  to  prove  that  bodily  incon- 
venience did  not  stand  as  a  barrier  to  his  devotion,  that  he  could 
mortify  the  flesh,  if  religion  so  required  it.  How  holy  must 
have  been  that  faith,  how  entire  that  heart  which  animated  the 
Patriarch  !  He  voluntarily  shed  his  blood,  of  his  own  free  will 
he  assumed  the  covenant,  and  handed  it  down  to  his  posterity. 
And  additional  blessings  were  poured  out  upon  him ;  the  Lord 
promised  that  unto  all  the  future  descendants  of  Abraham  he 
would  be  God,  that  is  to  say,  that  never,  never,  should  the 
knowledge  of  the  pure  ONE  depart  from  Abraham's  seed,  and 
that  in  all  ages  the  God  of  all  would  dwell  in  the  midst  of  the 
descendants  of  his  devoted  servant,  if  they  keep  the  covenant. — 
And  thou,  O  blessed  covenant,  hast  never  yet  departed  from  the 
midst  of  us  !  In  every  age,  in  every  land,  our  brothers  have 
brought  their  offspring  as  an  acceptable  offering  to  the  Most 
High ;  not  by  immolating  them  upon  the  altar  of  unbelief,  but 
by  rendering  them  perfect  as  the  law  demands.  And  fathers 
have  hastened  to  impress  thee  on  their  sons,  and  mothers  have 
rejoiced  that  their  portion  was  so  happy ;  and  the  people  with 
one  accord  have  professed  aloud,  that  in  thee  they  acknow- 
ledge, that  through  thee  they  are  convinced  that  the  Lord  is 
God  alone,  that  his  word  will  ever  endure,  and  that  Israel  is 
the  people  selected  to  be  his  servants,  chosen  to  be  the  messen- 
gers of  his  glory. 

Hitherto  Sarah  had  been  childless  ;  yet  the  effects  of  Abra- 
ham's faith  were  not  alone  confined  to  spiritual  grace,  but  were 
extended  likewise  to  increase  his  temporal  satisfaction.  A  year 
had  just  elapsed  from  the  time  of  the  announcement,  when 
Sarah,  to  complete  her  happiness,  saw  the  fulfilment  of  all  her 
hopes.  Her  long-tried  confidence,  the  anxious  waiting  for  the 
verification  of  the  Lord's  promises,  had  now  witnessed  an  entire 
accomplishment ;  and  she  could  no  longer  doubt  that  the  fulfil- 


*  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM.  183 

ment  of  the  other  promises  would  not  fail,  but  that  from  her 
seed  all  the  world  should  derive  blessing,  and  that  her  descend- 
ants should  always  be  a  people  sacred  to  the  service  of  the  One 
Eternal. — Therefore  at  the  age  of  eight  days  was  the  child  of 
promise  circumcised,  as  the  Lord  had  commanded ;  and  thus 
was  the  parent  of  Israel  the  first  of  Abraham's  sons  who  re- 
ceived the  impress  of  the  covenant  at  his  entrance  into  life. 

We,  his  descendants,  stand  now  on  earth,  the  inheritors  of 
the  covenant,  the  children  of  salvation  under  the  law.  Centu- 
ries have  rolled  on,  ages  have  followed  on  ages,  and  yet  this 
covenant  and  this  law  have  stood  our  protecting  angels  from 
amalgamation  and  perishing  among  the  gentiles.  And  this  co- 
venant is  a  constant  test,  a  trial  of  faith,  whether  we  are  willing 
to  walk  before  the  Lord,  whether  as  parents  we  are  sufficiently 
embued  with  the  spirit  of  religion  to  submit  ourselves  to  divine 
.guidance  and  inflict  upon  our  sons  a  few  brief  hours  of  pain  in 
obedience  to  the  law,  for  which  temporary  suffering  they  are 
to  be  admitted  into  the  community  of  those  who  worship  no 
God  save  the  Creator,  and  who  obey  no  law  save  the  emana- 
tion of  Supreme  Wisdom. — Parents !  do  you  fear  your  God  ? 
do  you  dread  to  appear  before  Him  with  the  sin  of  neglect,  of 
apostacy,  upon  your  conscience?  Then  hasten  to  initiate  your 
children  into  the  covenant,  and  let  them  not  have  occasion  in 
after-life  to  accuse  you  of  being  the  cause  that  they  are  not 
members  o£  the  Jewish  community.  It  is  true,  that  it  is  the  duty 
of  every  Israelite  to  assume  the  covenant  himself,  if  his  parents 
have  been  neglectful  of  the  commandment ;  but  what  reason 
have  you  to  expect,  that  your  children  will  be  sufficiently 
strong  in  faith  to  submit  to  the  law,  if  you  thought  it  unreason- 
able and  cruel,  or  unnecessary,  in  their  infancy  1 — Let  me  im- 
press it  solemnly  on  your  mind,  that  it  is  no  small  crime  to  cut 
off  an  entire  household,  or  an  entire  family,  from  communion 
with  Israel.  We  know  well  enough  that  but  few  temporal 
advantages  are  to  be  gained  by  this  communion ;  perhaps  the 
knowledge  of  our  being  Israelites  may  be  an  injury  to  our  ad- 
vancement; for  as  yet  the  prejudice  against  our  name  and  our 
religion  have  not  vanished  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  If  now 
you  value  the  fleeting  advantages  of  life  so  much  as  to  deny 
your  children  their  rights  as  Jews ;  or  if  you  are  so  weak  in 


184  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

faith  as  to  neglect  as  unwise  and  unimportant  what  we  deem 
of  the  first  necessity:  you  will  have  incurred  a  responsibility 
which  will  weigh  heavily  against  you  on  the  day  of  trial.     Be- 
sides this,  what  avails  all  your  seeming  religious  conduct  in 
other  respects,  what  use  can  be  in  your  coming  to  the  house  of 
God  and  claim  affinity  with  and  the  rights  of  Israelites :  if  you 
are  determined,  that  with  your  death  your  family  are  to  be 
cast  out  from  the  community  of  the  Lord1? — Or  do  you  believe, 
that  in  the  progress  of  time  the  old  covenant  will  fall  into  dis- 
use, and  that  symbolical  or  imaginary  rites  will  take  its  place, 
and  that  among  such  Jews  your  children  will  be  welcome 
members  ?     You  greatly  err,  if  so  you  think ;  for  trust  in  the 
word  of  God,  trust  in  Him  whose  promises  have  never  de- 
ceived, the  covenant  of  Abraham  will  never  cease  to  be  revered 
and  observed  by  his  latest  descendants.     For  what  does  the 
text  say :  0*71^  JvnV  DDiBan  'nnj  nrvni  "  And  my  covenant  shall 
be  in  your  flesh  as  an  everlasting  covenant?"   Now  this  is  both 
a  commandment  and  a  prophecy.     As  a  commandment  it  is 
certain  and  undeniable  that  for  thousands  of  years  the  covenant 
has  not  alone  been  observed,  but  has  been  highly  prized  as  a 
glorious  gift  by  the  children  of  Israel.     And  as  a  prophecy, 
I  will  merely  say,  that  as  great  dangers  have  passed  over  us 
as  are  likely  ever  to  occur  again ;   and  that  amidst  all   the 
persecutions  we  had  to  endure  and  all  our  own  apostacies  this 
ordinance  never  was  forgotten  or  unobserved.     Ay,  when  the 
heathen  oppressors  prohibited  the  holy  ordinance  under  pain  of 
death,  the  mothers  in  Israel  risked  even  life  itself  to  obey  the 
will  of  God ;  and  in  every  age  and  every  land  the  state  of  un- 
circumcision   was   considered   a   disgrace   upon   the   sons   of 
Jacob. — If  therefore  you  wish  that  your  children  shall  not  be 
cast  out,  now  and  for  ever,  from  the  community  of  the  Lord : 
neglect  not  to  fit  them  by  your  own  act  to  be  worthy  members 
of  Israel's  household ;  reflect  that  their  apostacy,  if  they  should 
be  driven  to  worship  strange  gods,  will  rest  upon  your  own 
souls ;  and  that  we,  the  sons  of  Jacob,  will  never  hold  them  as 
brothers  who  like  us  bear  not  the  seal  of  the  covenant.   And  do 
you  not  tremble  at  the  thought,  that  your  descendants  shall  be 
mixed  up  with  the  nations  of  the  earth  ?  prize  you  not  the  holy 
privilege,  the  sacred  birthright  of  being  the  followers  of 


THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM.  185 

God,  the  inheritors  of  the  merit  of  Abraham,  the  followers  of 
the  law  of  Moses  ? — You  yourselves  are  elated  at  the  thought 
that  you  are  adorers  of  God,  the  believers  in  the  one,  undivided, 
unchanging  UNITY:  and  you  care  not  to  hand  down  this  preroga- 
tive to  your  children?  You  feel  that  a  high  destiny  is  yours ;  you 
are  convinced  that  the  doctrines  your  parents  taught  you,  that 
the  creed  you  imbibed  with  your  mother's  milk,  that  the  confes- 
sion you  early  breathed,  "  The  Lord  our  God  the  Lord  is  ONE," 
are  thoughts  worthy  of  the  unending  God :  and  yet  you  idly 
cast  your  offspring  into  the  arms  of  unbelief,  of  false  worship,  of 
ideas  uncongenial  to  Scripture,  unworthy  of  the  holy  everblessed 
Creator?  You  would  be  shocked,  were  any  one  to  invite  you  to 
join  another  religion,  to  forswear  directly  your  allegiance  to 
Jacob's  God :  yet  do  you  feel  the  same  regard  for  your  children's 
future  happiness  when  you  exclude  them  by  your  own  sins 
from  the  congregation  of  the  faithful? — Perhaps  you  feel  indiffe- 
rent about  religious  duties  ;  perhaps  you  are  tinctured  with  infi- 
delity ;  and  you  neglect  therefore  the  commandment,  because 
you  do  not  believe  in  its  necessity  !  Even  then  your  conduct 
is  unwise. — For  understand,  the  time  may  come  when  your 
convictions  may  become  stronger,  when  unbelief  may  yield  to 
a  firm  faith  in  the  truth  of  Scripture  and  the  necessity  of  obe- 
dience to  the  commandments ;  how  will  you  then  do,  when  you 
find  yourselves  surrounded  by  children  NOT  of  the  covenant,  by 
sons  who  have  NO  RIGHT,  NO  PART  IN  ISRAEL  ? — Or  why  will 
you  not  leave  to  your  children  the  choice  of  being  Israelites  or 
not  ?  The  covenant  can  do  them  no  bodily  or  mental  injury  ; 
it  is  only  an  acknowledgment  that  in  the  flesh  they  belong  to 
the  house  of  Israel ;  and  surely  it  is  their  right,  as  well  as-  it 
was  yours  at  your  birth,  that  nothing  should  be  done  by  their 
parents  which  of  necessity  makes  their  entrance  into  the  great 
body  of  Jews  more  painful  and  more  difficult,  and  consequently 
more  uncertain,  than  it  ought  to  be.  You  were  children  of  the 
covenant  and  yet  you  rebelled ;  let  your  own  children  have  the 
same  choice ;  let  them  if  they  think  proper  become  Israelites, 
if  their  conviction  be  stronger  than  yours,  if  they  are  more 
disposed  to  obedience  than  you  ;  but  let  them  never  have  cause 
to  say,  as  many  no  doubt  have  said :  "  It  is  my  father's  and 
mother's  fault  that  I  am  not  an  Israelite." 

16* 


186  THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM. 

If  littleness  of  faith  will  then  stand  in  the  way  of  obedience, 
fathers  and  mothers  in  our  ancient  people !  it  a  useless  and 
causeless  timidity  will  instil  in  you  doubt  and  hesitation :  reflect 
from  what  stock  you  have  sprung.  You  are  believing  children 
of  believing  ancestors  ;  I  will  never  credit  that  there  is  one  Is- 
raelite, no  matter  how  irreligious,  who  is  without  religious 
belief;  yes,  you  are  of  that  people  to  whom  a  trust  in  God  is 
natural  in  all  their  backsliding :  your  forefathers  were  they 
who  in  their  own  persons  and  that  of  their  children  ever  sanc- 
tified the  name  of  the  Lord ;  and  then  arouse  yourselves  and 
resolve  to  be  worthy  of  such  an  enviable  ancestry.  Abraham 
was  faithful,  so  was  Isaac,  so  was  Sarah,  so  was  Zipporah,  so 
was  Joshua,  so  were  the  millions  who  have  so  long  borne  the 
name  of  the  congregation  of  Jacob  ;  and  at  this  late  day,  when, 
after  the  clouds  of  oppression  have  been  almost  totally  chased 
away,  the  sun  of  freedom  begins  to  shed  his  benignant  light 
also  upon  our  long-oppressed  race,  it  were  surely  ungrateful 
to  the  Deity  to  refuse  to  observe  any  longer  on  our  part  the 
terms  of  the  covenant,  w'hen  He,  true  and  faithful  to  HIS  word, 
has  been  our  God  as  He  was  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  never 
has  withdrawn  from  us  his  light,  his  law,  his  knowledge,  his 
protection  and  his  goodness,  as  we  see  clearly  proven  this  day. 
Arise  then  in  your  might,  beloved  brothers  !  and  in  the  words 
of  the  prophet  (Isaiah  li.  2)  :  "  Look  unto  Abraham  your  father, 
and  unto  Sarah  that  bore  you  ;  for  one  he  was  when  I  called 
him,  and  I  blessed  and  increased  him." — Yes,  it  was  through 
faith  that  he  was  blessed ;  alone  he  wandered  forth,  childless 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  from  his  father's  house,  to  follow  the 
guidance  of  the  Lord ;  childless  as  regards  Sarah  he  was  at 
the  age  of  ninety-nine  years ;  then  he  became  perfect  through 
obedience,  through  faith,  and  the  covenant,  and  since  that 
period  he  became  through  Isaac  the  father  of  a  multitude  of 
people,  of  a  people  that  has  maintained  the  glory  of  the  Su- 
preme in  all  parts  of  God's  earth ;  of  a  people  trodden  down 
and  pillaged,  yet  upheld  by  faith,  living  in  the  belief  of  the  truth 
of  the  Lord,  confiding  in  the  justice  of  his  decrees. — It  was 
Sarah's  happiness  to  shelter  in  her  bosom  the  first  of  those  cir- 
cumcised on  the  eighth  day  ;  and  like  her  companion  through 
many  a  weary  pilgrimage,  through  many  a  sore  trial,  she  thus 


THE  COVENANT  OF  ABRAHAM.  187 

had  a  share  in  sacrificing  in  faith  her  own  feelings,  her  own 
repugnance,  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  her  God.  May  her 
daughters  feel  the  same  call  to  sanctify ;  and  may  they  hasten, 
in  order  to  ward  off"  danger  from  their  husbands,  and  condem- 
nation from  their  children,  to  enter  these  into  the  covenant  of 
Abraham.  And  may  the  fathers  glory  that  none  of  their 
pledges  of  conjugal  love  are  excluded  from  the  household  of 
our  Lord  ;  but  that  sons  alike  and  daughters  are  children  of 
salvation,  heirs  to  the  glory  and  hope  promised  unto  Israel ! 

And  thou,  angel  of  the  covenant,  the  messenger  of  happy 
tidings  !  be  present  in  spirit,  whenever  this  sacrifice  is  brought : 
bless,  in  the  name  of  the  everlasting  God,  each  child  and  every 
parent ;  and  proclaim  before  the  mercy-seat  of  Glory,  that  we 
are  true  to  the  law,  unforgetful  of  the  ancient  statutes,  and 
submissive  to  the  divine  command.  And  join  thy  prayer  with 
ours,  and  entreat  for  salvation  and  redemption  for  all  Israel, 
in  order  that  it  may  be  announced  to  us  as,  in  days  of  yore : 
"  And  I  passed  by  thee,  and  saw  thee  polluted  in  thy  own 
blood  ;  and  I  said  unto  thee,  In  thy  own  blood  shall  thou  live  ; 
and  I  said  unto  thee,  In  thy  own  blood  shalt  thou  live."* 

O  God  everlasting  !  remember  the  covenant  and  the  fathers 
who  early  obeyed  Thee,  and  have  compassion  on  thy  people 
Israel,  and  forgive  them  and  bless  them,  because  that  Thou  art 
their  God,  the  merciful  and  long-suffering;  and  redeem  them 
speedily  even  for  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  and  because  of  the 
promises  Thou  didst  announce  to  their  forefathers  thy  servants. 
May  this  be  thy  will.  Amen. 


Heshvan  10th 
November  6th 


*  Ezekiel  xvi.  6. 


188 


DISCOURSE  XVI. 

RELIGIOUS     EDUCATION. 

O  THOU  !  who  art  nigh  unto  all  who  call  upon  Thee,  be 
attentive  to  our  prayers,  and  grant  us  the  aid  we  need  at  thy 
hands.  Bless  our  labour  with  productiveness,  and  deny  not  a 
happy  increase  to  our  undertakings.  And  give  us  contentment 
and  peace  of  mind,  to  be  satisfied  with  thy  decrees,  and  enable 
us  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  our  appointment  on  earth.  Guard  us 
from  evil,  defend  us  from  the  malice  of  the  ungodly,  and  let  the 
light  of  thy  law  guide  us  securely  in  the  path  we  should  go;  so 
that  we  may  live  and  deserve  the  blessing  which  thou  hast 
promised  to  those  who  do  thy  will.  Amen! 

BRETHREN  ! 

In  reading  the  Bible,  the  record  of  the  will  of  God  and  of  the 
doings  of  the  forefathers  of  our  people  and  of  those  who  came 
in  contact  with  them,  it  is  requisite  that  we  should  not  mistake 
history  'for  example,  and  look  upon  all  the  transactions  we  read 
of  as  acts  which  we  may  freely  imitate.  For^the  Scriptures 
nowhere  say,  that  we  should  strive  to  copy  any  one  of  all 
those  whose  lives  are  recorded ;  and  if  we  are  even  informed 
that  one  or  the  other  of  the  Bible  characters  was  a  man  after 
God's  own  heart,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  every  act  of  his 
life  was  praiseworthy.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  presented 
with  the  law;  and  by  its  standard  we  are  to  measure  our 
lives,  to  do  nothing  which  is  in  opposition  to  the  same,  regard- 
less what  others  may  have  done,  and  to  judge  likewise  of  the 
transactions  which  are  related  to  us,  whether  they  be  examples 
to  be  followed,  or  instances  of  deficiency  in  virtue  or  faith 
which  it  is  our  duty  to  avoid. — The  Bible  is  a  veritable  record 
of  all  matters  which  it  concerns  us  to  know ;  and  as  the  great 
and  good  characters  of  which  it  speaks  were  like  ourselves 
fallible  and  sinning :  it  gives  us  a  faithful  statement  of  their  bad 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  189 

no  less  than  their  good  deeds ;  since  the  prophets  and  inspired 
writers,  whilst  recording  the  backslidings  of  God's  favourites, 
knew  that  no  one  could  be  misled  by  the  bad  examples  occa- 
sionally exhibited  by  these,  because  the  rule  was  also  transmitted 
according  to  which  every  action  of  theirs  or  of  other  men  must 
either  be  justified  or  condemned.  If  then  we  find  not  a  single 
perfect  man  in  the  Bible,  if  every  one  whose  life  is  recorded 
was  at  times  guilty  of  faults  and  want  of  faith :  it  is  no  more 
than  saying,  that  the  great  men  of  ancient  days  were,  like  those 
of  our  own  times,  compounds  of  good  and  evil.  And  herein  we 
must  admire  the  perfect  artlessness  discoverable  in  the  inspired 
writings.  Nothing  is  told  for  effect ;  no  elaborate  defences  of 
characters  are  any  where  to  be  found,  and  no  extenuation  is 
offered  to  make  us  think  kindly  of  the  acts  which  our  own 
judgment  must  lead  us  to  condemn,  but  which  our  feelings 
might  extenuate  if  our  sympathies  were  appealed  to. — It  is 
therefore  very  questionable,  whether  the  cause  of  religion  can 
gain  any  thing  by  our  offering,  at  this  late  day,  excuses  for 
acts  which  the  Bible  merely  records ;  for  if  such  a  course  had 
been  deemed  necessary,  no  doubt  the  Lord's  spirit  would  have 
impelled  the  prophets  to  adopt  the  same ;  their  silence  should 
accordingly  teach  us  caution,  how  we  attempt  to  clear  the  fame 
of  those  we  justly  prize  of  the  charge  of  occasional  disobe- 
dience and  crime  which  the  holy  Text  has  laid  against  them. 
We  may  safely,  maintain  moreover,  that  infidelity  gains  nothing 
by  the  frailty  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord ;  nor  can  religion  lose 
by  our  candidly  admitting  that  human  nature  was  the  same  in 
all  ages ;  and  that  though  some  have  had  greater  light,  no  one 
was  so  perfect  that  he  did  not  at  some  period  or  other  of  his 
earthly  existence  call  for  and  need  the  forgiveness  of  God. 

I  deemed  this  much  necessary  before  introducing  to  you  the 
text  to  which  I  wish  to  draw  your  attention  to-day ;  inasmuch 
as  it  is  an  expression  of  censure  on  the  life  of  David,  just 
thrown  out  by  the  sacred  historian  in  the  account  he  presents 
to  us  of  the  last  days  of  this  renowned  king  of  Israel.  You 
are  all  well  aware  how  highly  David  is  valued  as.  a  man 
devoted  to  the  Lord,  still  we  find  him  occasionally  in  the  light 
of  a  grievous  offender ;  he  retained  the  humility  of  a  shepherd 
on  the  throne  of  Israel,  still  he  suffered  his  inclinations  to 


190  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

prompt  him  to  the  commission  of  incest  and  an  act  akin  to 
murder.  With  all  this  he  was  a  character  of  great  excellence, 
and  a  mind  but  rarely  found  among  men.  And  in  his  repent- 
ance and  his  prayers  we  have  an  illustrious  example  of  humilia- 
tion of  the  mortal  before  the  Everlasting,  and  an  incentive  not 
to  despair  of  mercy  even  when  we  have  sinned.  —  David  had 
all  his  life  been  the  mark  for  malice  and  persecution;  and  what 
from  external  enemies,  intestine  confusion,  and  the  misconduct 
of  his  own  children,  his  days  were  by  no  means  of  an  even  and 
happy  current.  Even  his  last  moments  were  embittered  by  the 
arrogance  of  one  of  his  sons,  who  aimed  to  usurp  the  govern- 
ment before  his  father's  lamp  of  life  had  expired.  Now  the 
Scriptures  do  not  enter  into  long  details  to  account  for  the 
heinous  crime  of  Adonijah,  but  state  simply  : 


n:o  yno  "10*     vo»o 


"  And  his  father  had  never  aggrieved  him,  saying,  Why  hast  thou  done 
this  1"     1  Kings  i.  6. 

Parents  !  look  well  to  the  fate  of  the  son  of  David,  who  had 
never  been  checked  by  his  father.  He  was  a  man  described  as 
exceedingly  handsome,  as  a  favourite  of  many  of  his  father's 
friends,  and  the  oldest  in  point  of  birth  of  the  yet  remaining 
sons  of  the  dying  king.  He  must  have  known  that  it  was  his 
father's  wish,  by  the  express  command  of  God,  that  the  younger 
Solomon,*  on  account  no  doubt  of  his  greater  wisdom,  should 
succeed  to  the  government  ;  and  yet  would  he  not  forego  his 
imaginary  rights  in  deference  to  his  father's  will,  but  rebelled 
and  proclaimed  himself  king  by  means  of  a  faction  in  the  state 
who  doubtlessly  were  in  fear  of  losing  their  influence  if  the  peo- 
ple were  to  elevate  Solomon  to  the  vacant  throne.  —  Adonijah 
we  are  told  had  never  been  reproved  by  his  father,  and  this  in- 
dulgence, unwisely  extended,  caused  him  in  this  weighty  point 
too  to  regard  his  own  will  merely  :  and  the  sequel  was,  that 
David  during  his  lifetime  appointed  Solomon  his  successor; 
and  the  folly  of  the  disappointed  aspirant  was  at  length  the 

*  1  Chronicles  xxviii.  5. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  jgi 

cause  that  he  was  slain  by  order  of  his  brother  as'an  enemy  to 
the  internal  repose  of  the  realm  ;  since  with  his  first  failure  he 
had  not  yet  learned  to  rest  content  with  a  private  station,  for 
which  he  was  better  fitted  than  the  rule  over  a  people  like 
Israel. 

Parents !  regard  well  the  evil  effects  of  indulgence  to  your 
children,  and  learn  early  to  avoid  a  similar  fault  in  your 
own  families.  The  responsibility  resting  upon  you  is  of  the 
first  magnitude ;  you  are  the  progenitors  of  beings  who  have 
an  intelligent  soul  and  a  mixed  disposition  which  both  prompts 
to  good  and  to  evil.  The  Lord,  we  may  freely  say  without 
employing  the  words  figuratively,  has  placed  in  your  hands 
intelligent  souls  for  your  safe-keeping ;  as  we  read  in  Psalm 
cxxvii.  3:  "  Lo  !  children  are  a  heritage  of  the  Lord;"  and  it 
is  your  business,  the  employment  of  your  whole  life,  to  see  that 
no  neglect  of  yours  should  jeopard  or  injure  their  earthly  or 
heavenly  happiness.  Understand,  though  you  have  a  claim 
upon  them  as  their  bodily  parents,  there  is  yet  ONE  who  is 
your  and  their  Author,  and  who  has  consequently  a  claim  upon 
your  own  selves,  and  a  superior  right  in  your  children,  and  He 
has  a  just  title  to  demand  of  you  a  due  care  and  watchfulness 
over  the  charges  He  has  entrusted  to  your  temporary  custody. 
You  must  therefore  begin  at  the  very  outset  to  educate  them 
with  correct  principles,  and  to  train  them  early  in  the  way 
they  should  go. — Let  us  endeavour  to  sketch  a  plan  of  domestic 
education. — The  infant  of  a  few  months  old  has  some  penetra- 
tion, and  it  speedily  contrives  ways  and  means  to  satisfy  its 
cravings.  If  any  object  strike  its  fancy  and  its  weak  powers 
prevent  it  from  seizing  the  same,  it  will  probably  cry  and  weep 
till  it  be  satisfied  or  it  find  its  striving  ineffectual.  If  the  child 
succeeds  but  once  in  thus  gaining  its  point,  it  will  to  a  certainty 
repeat  the  experiment  to  gain  its  end  by  a  few  tears  opportunely 
applied.  Here  now  begins  the  duty  of  the  mother,  and  it  is 
her  province  to  discover  whether  the  infant's  petulance  pro- 
ceed from  pain  or  a  perverse  disposition.  If  from  pain  she 
will  of  course  apply  soothing  remedies  whether  internal  or 
otherwise  to  remove  the  cause  of  suffering ;  but  if  she  is  con- 
vinced it  is  mere  wilfulness,  it  would  be  highly  injudicious  to 
bribe  it  into  quiet.  Although  a  noisy  child  is  very  troublesome 


192 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 


and  unpleasant,  it  is  much  better  both  for  its  own  sake  and  that 
of  the  parents  that  it  should  weep  and  fret  till  exhaustion  at 
length  produce  quiet  and  submission.  It  is  of  course  out  of  the 
question  to  reason  with  a  small  child  ;  a  passive  overcoming  of 
a  perverse  disposition  is  therefore  perhaps  the  only  remedy,  and 
it  is  requisite  that  it  should  be  employed  despite  of  its  apparent 
unpleasantness. 

Another  duty  springs  from  this  consideration  as  a  neces- 
sary consequence  of  what  we  have  advanced.  It  is,  that  it 
is  unwise  for  the  mother  to  surrender  her  child  into  the  care 
of  servants,  even  at  the  tenderest  age.  It  is  natural,  that 
a  servant,  the  best  even  of  her  class,  should  endeavour  to  make 
her  task  as  easy  as  possible,  and  to  gain  the  favour  of  the 
mistress  by  quieting  her  charge  at  all  hazards.  I  will  not  now 
mention  the  danger  of  bodily  injury,  arising  from  giving  it 
sedative  or  stupifying  medicines,  though  this  too  has  been  done; 
but  confine  myself  merely  to  the  moral  evil  of  spoiling  the  dis- 
position by  early  indulgence.  The  mother,  as  a  professor  of 
our  religion,  is  not  at  liberty  to  divest  herself  of  the  duty 
incumbent  on  her,  both  by  nature  and  religion,  of  watching 
over  the  moral  progress  of  her  offspring.  If  the  child  were 
sick,  even  slightly,  the  icarld  would  call  her  unfeeling,  if  she 
were  to  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  a  nurse  and  go  about  seeking 
her  pleasures  abroad ;  how  much  more  has  the  moralist  a  right 
to  tax  her  with  neglect,  if  she  is  so  callous  to  its  moral  happi- 
ness, as  to  leave  the  developement  of  its  dawning  mind  in  hands 
who  can  naturally  feel  no  inducement,  except  in  rare  instances, 
to  do  what  is  asked  of  them  with  the  least  more  labour  than  it 
is  absolutely  requisite.  There  are  among  those  who  undertake 
the  charge  of  infants  females  of  excellent  endowments,  whom 
poverty  or  adverse  circumstances  compel  to  enter  the  service 
of  their  fellow-beings ;  there  are  such  who  in  a  menial  station 
are  anxious  to  discharge  the  duties  they  have  assumed  with 
honour  and  fidelity;  but  they  are. not  so  general  as  to  render  it 
a  safe  thing  for  parents  to  transfer  their  prerogative,  or  their 
duty  rather,  to  strange  hands ;  and  besides,  how  can  the  mother 
expect  that  her  child  shall  be  well  cared  for  by  others  for  the 
sake  of  the  small  pittance  of  weekly  wages,  if  the  ties  of  nature 
cannot  secure  for  it  the  mother's  superintendence  ? — I  do  not 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  |93 

mean  to  say  that  the  mother  is  bound  to  be  perpetually  with 
the  child,  that  she  is  to  take  no  recreation,  and  not  permitted 
to  leave  it  for  a  moment  with  others ;  no !  but  that  she  is  not 
at  liberty  to  rest  satisfied  if  the  child  does  not  trouble  her,  and 
to  be  content  to  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  servants  three-fourths 
of  the  day,  provided  it  does  not  happen  to  be  sick. — In  short, 
education  should  begin  from  the  cradle;  the  child  must  be 
thwarted  if  it  is  petulant  and  unruly ;  its  temper  and  inclination 
must  be  curbed  as  soon  as  it  displays  any  undue  anger  or 
unreasonable  demands;  and  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  that 
indulgence  once  commenced,  it  may  be  very  difficult,  if  not 
altogether  impossible,  to  remedy  the  fault  in  after-life. 

As  soon  as  the  child  begins  to  speak  and  his  reason  becomes 
in  a  degree  more  developed,  the  difficulty  which  hitherto  existed 
in  discovering  the  source  of  infantile  sorrow,  will  of  course  be 
in  great  degree  removed,  and  consequently  the  remedies  to  be 
applied  will  be  more  apparent.  But  as  at  this  period  children 
are  perhaps  more  interesting  than  at  any  other,  especially  to 
their  parents,  greater  care  should  be  used  to  guard  against  in- 
dulgence. Moreover,  as  speech  is  now  in  his  possession,  the 
child  can  demand  more  intelligibly  what  he  wants  than  formerly 
by  mere  dumb  signs  and  motions.  And  if  you  value  the  peace 
of  your  house  and  the  welfare  of  your  offspring,  be  resolute  to 
persevere  in  your  refusals,  and  to  promise  nothing  which  you 
might  think  injurious  to  the  child.  It  is  no  use  whatever  in  first 
saying  no,  and  then  to  be  persuaded  or  coaxed  into  yielding ; 
for  depend  upon  it,  children  are  very  quick-sighted,  and  soon 
discover,  if  yielded  to,  that  they  can  gain  the  mastery  over 
their  parents  by  petulance  and  perseverance.  They  will  at  first 
try  the  experiment  in  small  matters ;  but  they  will  soon  rise  in 
their  demands,  and  increase  with  an  increase  of  years  and  op- 
portunity in  exacting  compliance  from  the  over-good  nature  of 
their  elders.  Make  it  then  a  rule,  not  to  refuse  any  thing  that  is 
necessary  or  reasonable  to  the  child's  comfort,  or  occasionally 
even  to  his  pleasure  ;  for  it  is  well  at  times  to  encourage  him, 
though  not  by  offering  a  direct  bribe  for  obedience.  But  if  you 
have  refused,  let  no  tears  or  entreaty  move  you  from  your  pur- 
pose. It  may  seem  hard  to  be  so  persevering  in  refusing  a 
trifle  which  is  perhaps  of  no  importance  whatever ;  but  it  be- 

VOL.  III. 17 


194  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

comes  of  importance  as  soon  as  it  may  tend  directly  or  indi- 
rectly to  relax  wholesome  domestic  discipline ;  and  the  only 
way  to  avoid  this  disagreeable  alternative  is  not  to  refuse  in 
haste  and  without  due  consideration.  If  you  are  then  resolute 
in  your  determination,  and  exhibit  withal  no  unnecessary  petu- 
lance or  testiness  in  your  expression  of  dissent :  the  child  will 
speedily  learn  that  he  has  nothing  to  gain  by  a  teazing  perseve- 
rance, and  the  father's  refusal  or  the  mother's  no  will  then  be 
a  sufficient  answer  to  all  his  silly  demands,  especially  if  he  finds 
that  every  thing  reasonabb  is  readily  conceded.  Let  me  sum 
up  this  part  in  a  few  words  :  obedience  should  be  made  one  of 
the  first  things  which  the  child  should  be  able  to  recollect ;  it 
ought  to  be  the  earliest  principle  instilled  in  the  mind  ;  and  the 
necessary  consequence  will  be,  that  obedience  in  maturer  years 
will  become  more  easy  on  the  part  of  the  son  or  daughter,  and 
be  more  easily  exacted  by  the  father  or  mother. 

Another  observation  I  have  to  make  with  respect  to  children 
from  one  to  three  years  old  ;  it  is,  to  be  very  guarded  against 
nourishing  the  principles  of  envy  and  revenge  at  this  early  age. 
It  may  be  necessary  as  a  punishment  for  disobedience,  to  deny 
to  one  child  the  indulgence  granted  to  another ;  but  great  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  excite  the  feeling  of  envy  in  the  delin- 
quent ;  tell  him,  that  it  is  a  consequence  of  obedience  in  the  bro- 
ther that  he  is  more  favoured,  and  that  you  hope  that  he  will 
to-morrow  merit  the  same  by  doing  what  is  right.  It  were 
perhaps  better  at  times  not  to  bestow  the  distinctive  mark  of 
favour  before  the  other  child,  if  you  know  from  observation 
that  he  is  of  a  sensitive  disposition.  Be  judicious  in  this  point 
especially,  as  it  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  that  quarrels  be- 
tween members  of  a  family  have  been  the  consequence  of  early 
favouritism ;  and  it  is  unfortunately  too  true,  that  parents  them- 
selves are  by  degrees  led  to  look  upon  one  or  the  other  of  their 
children  with  more  kindness  than  the  others.  This  is  radically 
wrong ;  it  not  alone  fails  in  correcting  as  a  punishment,  but  it 
becomes  a  downright  incentive  to  stubbornness  and  a  careless- 
ness in  doing  the  duties  demanded :  if  the  child  should  be  in- 
duced to  think  that  he  is  ill-treated,  especially  if  he  discovers 
that  another's  faults  are  either  overlooked  altogether,  or  not  so 
severely  visited  as  his  own. — With  regard  to  the  feeling  of  re- 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  195 

venge,  it  will  no  doubt  be  self-evident  to  you,  that  there  are  a 
thousand  incentives  to  excite  this  unholy  passion  in  the  mind 
of  the  young.    If  any  thing  unpleasant  occurs  to  them,  they  will 
naturally  appeal  to  their  parents  for  protection  and  redress  ;  and 
if  you  have  to  interfere  in  their  behalf,  be  it  against  a  servant, 
a  stranger,  or  one  of  their  own  relatives,  do  it  in  a  mild  deco- 
rous manner ;  do  not  let  your  children  see,  that  you  think  they 
have  suffered  a  great  wrong  ;  do  not  go  about  executing  justice 
in  a  boisterous,  excited  manner ;  do  not  speak  loudly  to  the  de- 
linquent in  the  presence  of  the  offended  party  ;  for  all  such  ex- 
hibitions only  encourage  the  children  in  tale-bearing  and  seek- 
ing of  revenge  for  every,  even  the  slightest,  injury.     Nor  is  it 
correct  to  pacify  the  child,  if  he  should  accidentally  get  injured, 
by  striking  a  chair  or  any  other  inanimate  object,  as  though  it 
had  offended ;  for  this  too  encourages  in  a  very  reprehensible 
manner  the  feeling  of  revenge  which  should  be  repressed  in  a 
good  system  of  education,  as  unfortunately  it  is  but  too  apt  to 
be  called  into  play  in  later  years  by  associates  and  circum- 
stances.    Moreover  such  a  procedure  is  irrational ;  and  it  is 
evidently  requisite  to  exhibit  in  your  own  conduct  towards  your 
children,  even   in  early   youth,  nothing  which  hereafter  you 
should  have  to  tell  him  was  the  effect  of  folly.     You  lower 
thereby  your  authority,  and  derogate  from  your  dignity  as 
moral  guides,  and  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  this  should 
not  take  place.     For  if  you  really  wish  to  be  not  only  beloved 
but  also  respected  by  your  children,  you  must  endeavour  that 
in  their  eyes  at  least  you  should  stand  as  high,  if  not  higher  as 
moral  preceptors,  than  any  body  else ;  because  by  this  means 
the  task  of  governing  your  household  will  be  much  lightened, 
and  rendered  more  pleasant  to  yourselves,  and  more  profitable 
to  your  offspring. 

If  you  discover  that  your  child  has  any  evil  propensity,  no 
matter  how  young  it  is,  do  not  withhold  punishment.  For  if 
the  fault  is  curable,  it  is  more  easily  so  in  the  beginning,  and 
when  it  first  shows  itself,  than  when  it  has  become  confirmed 
and  grown  into  an  inveterate  habit.  Little  children  are  men 
in  miniature,  and  all  the  germs  of  a  good  or  bad  character  are 
existing  in  them  no  less  than  in  adults  ;  hence  the  necessity  of 
treating  their  foibles  as  the  sources  of  crime  in  later  years.  For 


196  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

instance,  should  you  see  one  of  your  children  snatch  at  any 
little  thing  you  give  to  another,  or  demand  a  larger  portion  for 
his  share :  you  may  safely  say,  that  this  is  a  display  of  covet- 
ousness,  and  you  should  lose  no  time  in  counteracting  it. — If 
you  see  that  your  little  son  is  fond  of  teazing  domestic  animals, 
and  taking  a  delight  in  inflicting  pain  upon  them,  or  if  you  de- 
tect him  in  pinching  or  beating  his  brothers  and  sisters :  you 
have  cause  to  tremble  for  this  early  exhibition  of  ferocity,  and 
you  must  lose  no  time,  and  pretermit  no  diligence  to  remove  so 
hateful  a  characteristic. — If  you  see  him  indulge  in  violent  out- 
breaks of  rage,  it  is  not  well  to  buy  him  off  or  to  bribe  him  into 
good  humour ;  for  this  would  be  paying  a  premium  for  a  dis- 
play of  an  odious  feature ;  but  the  evident  duty  of  a  religious 
parent  is  to  endeavour  to  subdue  this  failing,  both  by  mildness 
as  far  as  prudent  and  well-timed  severity  where  this  may  advan- 
tageously come  into  play. — It  is  no  doubt  true,  that  a  father  or 
mother,  particularly  towards  an  only  child,  may  think  it  hard 
to  be  so  severe ;  but  let  us  ask,  what  benefit  can  result  from  a 
winking  at  faults  which  will  become  daily  more  apparent  and 
fixed  ?     You  would  be  truly  ashamed,  were  your  son  at  the 
age  of  twelve  to  show  a  covetous,  cruel,  or  quarrelsome  tem- 
perament ;  you  would  be  grieved  to  hear  any  one  say :  "  What 
an  unmannered,  rude  boy  this  is !" — why  then  will  you  not 
begin  at  once,  before  his  character  is  formed,  to  give  his  mind 
a  proper  bend  1  or  think  you  that  you  will  be  able  to  remedy 
the  defect  of  early  indulgence  by  greater  rigour  and  severity 
at  a  later  period  1     You  should  however  consider,  that  if  your 
son  could  master  you  when  an  infant,  he  is  not  likely  to  submit 
to  control  as  he  advances  in  years  ;  and  even  if  you  are  deter- 
mined to  curb  him  then,  and  grant  even  that  you  should  suc- 
ceed, does  it  not  strike  you,  that  you  will  have  to  undertake 
the  unpleasant  task  of  thwarting  him  at  last,  and  to  cause  him 
thereby  grief  and  vexation  as  much  as  though  you  had  always 
restrained  him  ?     If  therefore  you  mean  to  govern,  govern  at 
once ;  and  you  are  more  likely  to  succeed  in  the  discharge  of 
your  duty,  by  the  early  exercise  of  a  little  authority  and  the 
exhibition  of  a  little  severity,  than  you  could  hope  for  at  a  later 
date  by  a  positive  insisting  and  an  undue  portion  of  vigour, 
which,  whether  you  will  or  not,  will  then  be  requisite,  if  you 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  197 

wish  to  have  any  control  over  your  family,  in  even  a  small 
degree. 

Another  point  must  be  looked  after  in  early  childhood ;  it  is, 
that  you  insist  upon  strict  truth  from  your  child.  I  know  not, 
whether  it  may  not  be  a  natural  impulse  to  deny  any  thing  we 
have  done  wrong  in ;  at  all  events  the  smallest  child  will  say 
no  if  detected  in  any  fault ;  though  even  this  may,  like  many 
other  defects,  be  the  consequence  of  bad  example,  of  which  too 
much  is  always  presented  to  us  in  every  stage  of  life.  Be  this 
however  as  it  may,  insist  (I  need  not  say  with  mildness,  for  this 
is  a  matter  understood  of  itself)  upon  the  strictest  truth  from 
the  youngest  child ;  reason  with  him  if  need  be,  and  explain 
in  simple  words  the  odiousness  of  falsehood ;  tell  him  how  des- 
picable it  is  to  be  caught  in  an  untruth,  and  that  generally,  if 
not  always,  every  equivocation  will  be  detected,  and  bring  ad- 
ditional disgrace  for  every  offence,  no  matter  how  small,  which 
might  have  been  perhaps  forgiven  if  the  truth  had  at  once  been 
confessed.  But  whilst  you  demand  unvarying  truth,  be  cau- 
tious that  you  do  not  deviate  from  it  yourself;  never  threaten  a 
punishment,  if  you  mean  to  be  begged  off;  let  not  the  child  see 
that  you  are  wavering  and  mean  not  to  do  what  you  say ;  so 
also  if  you  promise  any  reward,  be  sure  to  fulfil  your  words ; 
it  will  have  a  very  happy  effect  upon  the  young  mind,  and 
teach  it  imperceptibly  to  love  truth  and  to  abhor  a  falsehood. — 
In  the  same  manner  you  must  repress  the  pernicious  habit  of 
tale-bearing  among  the  family ;  endeavour  to  instil  daily  into 
every  one  under  your  charge  to  practise  forbearance  and  good 
nature ;  tell  him,  that  the  offence  was  perhaps  not  committed 
on  purpose,  and  seek  to  discover  whether  the  offended  party 
might  not  have  committed  the  first  aggression.  It  is  certainly 
mortifying  to  a  high-spirited  child  to  find  his  complaints  dis- 
missed in  such  a  manner,  and  to  have  the  wrong  laid  to  his 
charge ;  but  what  matters  it  that  he  suffers  pain  in  this  way  ? 
can  it  do  him  any  injury?  is  his  temper  not  improved  thereby? 
is  not  turbulence  repressed '(  malevolence  rebuked  ?  and  con- 
tention stifled?  Now  reverse  the  case;  suppose  in  your  pa- 
ternal fondness  you  would  listen  to  the  accusation  brought  by 
your  son  against  a  neighbour's  child,  and  were  without  investi- 
gation to  insist  upon  your  friend's  punishing  the  delinquent  for 

17* 


198  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

the  injury  which  has,  for  all  you  may  know,  been  accidentally 
done,  or  perhaps  in  self-defence;  let  your  son  know  that  you 
got  the  offender  well  whipped  for  the  outrage,  and  show  your 
evident  satisfaction  at  the  result,  and  recount  the  minute  cir- 
cumstances to  your  wife  in  the  presence  of  the  accuser;  do 
you  not  thus  tell  him  to  persevere  in  his  course  ?  to  do  what- 
ever mischief  he  pleases  to  others  ?  that  you  only  will  believe 
him — your  darling — your- child?  Or  perhaps  tell  him  in  so 
many  words  that  you  will  see  him  righted  after  this  foolish 
fashion ;  and  as  sure  as  you  live,  you  lay  the  foundation  for  a 
tricky,  quarrelsome,  and  highly  unamiable  character. — Under- 
stand distinctly,  education  should  tend  to  correct  the  evil  pro- 
pensities of  the  human  heart,  to  counteract  the  evils  of  bad 
examples ;  and  surely  your  system  would  be  worse  than  no 
education  at  all,  if  you  encourage  and  by  that  means  foster 
one  of  the  worst  traits  to  which  we  are  naturally  addicted. 

A  domineering  propensity  is  also  occasionally  shown  by 
young  children ;  they  will  at  times  insist  upon  having  this  thing 
or  the  other,  and  will  not  unfrequently  aim  a  blow  at  a  servant 
or  an  older  brother  or  sister  if  not  immediately  gratified.  If 
you  discover  this  feeling,  you  must  oppose  it  at  all  hazards;  for 
if  persevered  in  and  not  early  eradicated,  it  will  grow  with 
every  day,  and  cause  them  much  unhappiness  as  they  advance 
in  life,  and  render  them  truly  odious  in  the  eyes  of  others.  The 
more  wealth  you  have,  the  more  you  are  likely  to  leave  to  your 
children :  the  stricter  you  must  insist  on  an  humble  and  kind 
bearing  from  them  to  all  around  them,  especially  to  servants, 
who  naturally  must  feel  some  reluctance  in  informing  you  of 
such  a  fault,  unless  your  sense  of  religion  demands  of  you,  to 
ask  for  a  correct  statement  of  your  children's  conduct  in  your 
absence. — Observation  has  taught  us,  that  children  are  not  un- 
acquainted with  their  parents'  superior  power  which  wealth 
gives  them,  and  that  they  are  sufficiently  apt  to  avail  them- 
sevles  of  all  the  advantages  arising  therefrom ;  especially  as 
rich  men's  children  are  only  too  often  the  objects  of  regard  to 
visiters  and  others  who  may  some  way  or  another  wish  to  pro- 
pitiate their  parents'  favour.  If  you  are  therefore  judicious, 
and  can  yourselves  set  a  proper  value  upon  the  glittering  dross 
which  we  are  all  striving  for ;  if  you  yourselves  are  impressed 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  jgg 

with  the  unsubstantial  tenure  you  have  in  worldly  goods  and  in 
your  mortal  life :  you  will  pretermit  no  effort  to  enforce  humi- 
lity and  patience,  and  to  insist  by  all  means  upon  an  amiable 
and  decorous  behaviour  even  to  subordinates.  Your  children 
in  this  case  also  as  in  others  should  have  your  example  to  teach 
them  the  duty  practically, which  your  words  call  for  in  theory; 
you  yourselves  should  be  kind  to  servants,  mild  in  your  reproofs 
of  them,  and  never  show  any  arrogance  or  pride  to  these  and 
all  others  under  your  control  and  direction. — You  may  think, 
perhaps,  that  your  children  will  always  be  provided  for,  and 
that  they,  who  work  for  money,  are  not  of  sufficient  importance 
to  deserve  protection  against  the  favourite  offspring  of  wealth 
and  affluence  ;  but  you  err  if  you  judge  so.  It  is  not  so  much 
the  protection  of  the  subordinates,  though  this  also  is  of  vital 
moment,  as  the  improvement  of  the  children  themselves,  the 
rendering  them  amiable,  which  can  be  attained  only  by  the 
means  we  have  indicated;  it  is  your  duty  to  improve  their 
minds,  and  clear  away  thence  all  those  evil  qualities  which 
may  become  prejudicial  to  their  peace  and  future  happiness ; 
and  as  we  said,  and  as  the  good  sense  of  every  man  will  tell 
him,  no  quality  is  more  hateful  even  in  the  great  and  exalted 
than  arrogance  and  overbearingness. — Besides  this,  you  ought 
to  reflect,  that  in  the  constant  mutations  which  are  going  on 
in  the  world  no  one  can  determine,  whether  the  servants  now 
at  your  beck  and  call  may  not  at  some  future  day  become  ex- 
alted above  your  children,  and  whether  these  may  not  be  com- 
pelled to  ask  of  those,  who  once  served  you  and  them  for  pay, 
for  aid  to  assist  them  in  their  necessities.  Now  grant  that  this 
should  never  be,  still  man  may  become  useful  to  another  in  a 
thousand  great  and  little  ways ;  and  the  love  of  a  menial  secured 
may  stand  in  good  stead  to  you  and  them  in  situations  where 
the  assistance  of  the  great  is  of  no  avail. — In  addition  to  all 
this  the  servant  is  a  child  of  God,  and  as  such  claims  your  pro- 
tection, the  more  so  because  he  is  subject  to  your  power ;  this 
therefore  is  an  additional  reason,  why  you  should  insist  upon  a 
conciliatory  conduct  from  your  children,  the  younger  as  well 
as  the  older,  to  your  domestics,  and  show  to  them  that  you 
likewise  are  not  backward  in  this  important  duty  which  you 
as  servants  of  God  must  exact  of  them. 


200  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

If  by  the  visitation  of  the  Lord  you  have  been  deprived  of 
one  or  more  children,  let  this  be  no  excuse  for  indulgence  ex- 
tended to  those  that  remain.  It  were  indeed  making  a  bad  use 
of  the  admonition  of  Heaven  to  convert  it  into  a  curse  (for  so 
indulgence  is)  to  intelligent  accountable  beings.  The  mother 
may  perhaps  fancy,  that  in  the  cry  of  the  child  before  her  she 
is  impelled  to  kindness  by  the  memory  of  those  who  were  taken; 
but  it  is  a  mere  weakness  which  may  readily  be  overcome 
by  a  little  fortitude;  by  considering  that  to  indulge  the  living 
cannot  restore  the  dead.  It  is  surely  a  singular  infatuation, 
which  can  only  be  explained  by  supposing  that  the  parents  at- 
tach a  greater  value  to  a  child  because  they  were  deprived  of 
others,  to  overlook  faults  in  the  survivor  which  otherwise  would 
have  been  checked ;  and  it  requires  no  profound  thinking,  that 
it  is  unwise  for  many  reasons.  First  it  looks  like  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  will  of  God,  and  a  stubbornness  in  submitting  to 
his  irrevocable  decree  ;  and  secondly,  the  child  so  educated  will 
not  have  any  reason  to  thank  his  parents  for  spoiling  him ;  not 
to  mention  other  considerations  which  readily  present  them- 
selves. 

We  will  now  sum  up  this  part  of  our  subject  briefly. — It  is 
the  duty  of  the  parents  conjointly,  to  watch  over  the  disposi- 
tions of  their  children  from  the  earliest  age ;  to  check  every 
fault,  and  to  counteract  every  evil  propensity.  Not  to  be  moved 
by  tears,  by  petulance,  or  perseverance;  but  to  act  with  the 
responsibility  to  the  Lord  before  them.  This  supervision  must 
not  be  entrusted  to  others,  no  matter  who  they  are ;  but  father 
and  mother  themselves  must  fulfil  the  trust  which  they  have 
received,  and  to  execute  which  they  are  mutually  pledged  to 
one  another. — They  should  reflect  that  David,  who  is  styled  "  a 
man  after  God's  heart,"  is  censured  in  the  holy  Scriptures  for 
a  neglect  of  his  authority  in  the  case  of  one  of  his  sons,  who  in 
consequence  met  with  an  untimely  and  violent  death.  It  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  early  indulgence  will  have  this  unhappy 
effect  in  all  instances;  but  the  resulting  evils  are  sufficiently 
great  and  appalling  without  supposing  extreme  cases.  Still  if 
wre  could  examine  carefully  the  lives  of  great  malefactors  and 
sinners,  we  would  no  doubt  find,  that  the  early  folly  of  their 
parents  laid  the  foundation  for  their  temporal  or  permanent  un- 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  201 

happiness. — Let  me  appeal  to  you  then,  brothers  and  sisters  of 
the  house  of  Jacob !  to  fulfil  your  trust  in  the  spirit  and  letter 
of  the  law,  and  cause  thereby  that  your'  children  may  live  long 
and  happy  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  bless  their  earthly  pa- 
rents who  early  restrained  their  sinful  propensities,  and  pointed 
out  to  them  thus  the  road  which  leads  to  the  mansions  of  ever- 
lasting felicity ! 

May  the  Lord  our  God  enlighten  our  spirit  with  his  wisdom, 
and  bless  us  with  his  grace,  even  as  He  was  with  our  fathers ! 
Amen. 


Heshvan  24th     >  -/,/», 
November  20th  (  OW1< 


DISCOURSE  XVII. 

RELIGIOUS    EDUCATION. 

UNTO  Thee,  O  our  Lord  !  be  praise  and  glory,  for  all  the  grace 
and  truth  which  Thou  hast  done  to  thy  servants,  for  the  many 
innumerable  benefits  which  we  have  received  at  thy  hands,  for 
the  many  acts  of  goodness  which,  undeserving  though  we  be, 
were  showered  down  upon  us  in  liberal  measure,  and  in  seasons 
of  affliction  no  less  than  in  hours  of  rejoicing.  O!  that  we 
might  all  be  alive  to  the  debt  of  gratitude  we  owe  unto  Thee, 
and  that  all  might  endeavour  to  merit  thy  beneficence  by  obey- 
ing thy  holy  word,  and  spreading  a  knowledge  thereof  unto 
those  not  yet  acquainted  with  thy  service  and  worship.  But 
do  Thou !  in  thy  mercy,  give  us  the  spirit  of  counsel  and 
understanding,  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  teach  the  truth  even 
as  it  is  pleasing  to  Thee,  and  to  bring  many  precious  souls  to 
seek  for  shelter  and  salvation  under  the  shadow  of  the  wings  of 
thy  glory.  May  our  eyes  see  this,  and  may  all  Israel  be  wit- 


202  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

nesses  of  the  outpouring  of  thy  holy  spirit  at  the  coming  of  the 
redeemer,  thy  messenger.     Amen  ! 

BRETHREN  ! 

In  my  preceding  address  I  endeavoured  to  sketch  out  a 
simple  and  comprehensive  plan  of  a  domestic  education  of 
young  children  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  our 
heaven-born  religion  ;  and  I  trust  that  the  rules  which  I  con- 
sidered it  my  duty  to  lay  before  you  will  be  found  both  practi- 
cable and  consonant  with  reason.  And  I  candidly  believe  that 
the  duty  of  early  government  of  the  household  is,  like  all  other 
duties  demanded  by  our  law,  the  best  promoter  of  domestic 
happiness  and  a  useful  life  in  after-years.  —  Let  us  to-day  pursue 
the  subject  in  its  more  distinct  branches  and  later  applicability. 
—  We  are  taught  in  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon  : 


•no* 

:  moo 


"  Train  up  the  boy  in  the  way  he  should  go  :  and  even  when  he  is  old  he 
will  not  depart  from  it."  Prov.  xxii.  6. 

Another  version  of  this  verse  is  :  "  Train  the  boy  according  to 
his  capacity;"  which,  although  slightly  differing  from  the 
common  translation,  does  by  no  means  change  its  meaning. 
The  wise  king  of  Israel  wished  to  impress  upon  the  parents  the 
duty  of  watching  over  the  conduct  and  progress  of  the  child, 
and  to  afford  him  such  instruction,  suited  to  his  capacity  and 
years,  as  will  engrave  itself  deeply  upon  his  mind,  and  will  not 
be  eradicated  or  forgotten  even  when  the  frosty  years  of  old 
age  have  long  since  banished  the  days  of  youth,  and  the  early 
instructors  are  laid  low  in  the  silent  grave.  To  insure  this 
happy  result  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  begin  correctly 
and  start  in  such  a  manner,  that  you  need  not  retrace  any 
step  you  have  once  taken.  Begin  therefore  with  correct 
principles,  and  inform  the  child  early,  in  a  manner  suited  to  his 
years,  of  the  duties  which  he  owes  as  the  creature  of  the 
Supreme,  and  as  a  member  of  the  human  family  at  large. 
And  as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  learn  teach  him,  after  the  good  cus- 
tom of  our  people,  to  glorify  the  Lord  by  the  word  of  his  mouth; 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 


203 


make  him  early  familiar  that  He,  our  God,  is  ONE,  that  He  is 
the  sole  Ruler  and  Governor  of  the  universe,  and  that  from 
Him  alone  proceeds  all  the  good  we  enjoy.  Let  his  first 
thoughts  be  fixed  upon  the  profession  of  our  faith ;  let  him 
know  by  heart,  as  the  first  of  his  acquisition  in  knowledge,  the 
Shemang,  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord  is 
One ;"  let  him  learn  it  loo  in  the  sacred  tongue,  which,  together 
with  the  law,  is  a  blessed  inheritance  from  our  fathers ;  instruct 
him  in  simple  and  to  him  intelligible  words  how  to  address  the 
throne  of  Grace ;  so  that  he  may  at  once  be  made  to  feel  that 
he  is  a  dependant  and  a  servant  of  a  spiritual  Being  who 
watches  over  all  his  acts,  and  rewards  the  good  and  punishes 
the  evil. — In  doing  this,  however,  you  should  speak  to  him  as  a 
rational  being,  and  not  make  use  of  superstitious  terrors  to 
frighten  him  into  an  unwilling  obedience,  nor  attribute  to  the 
Deity  feelings  and  qualities  which  are  foreign  to  the  Bible 
doctrines.  Our  God  is  so  exalted,  so  pure,  so  unspeakably 
holy,  that  every  attempt  to  invest  Him  with  human  frailties  is 
blasphemous  in  the  extreme ;  and  in  serving  Him  we  cannot 
go  farther  astray  from  true  piety,  by  any  misconduct  whatever, 
than  by  an  indulgence  in  superstition.  It  is  thus  your  duty, 
as  guardians  of.  an  accountable  spirit,  to  make  your  child  a 
devoted  worshipper,  not  an  ignorant  bigot,  not  a  terrified 
believer  in  nonentities.  Religion  in  its  most  extended  sense  is 
diametrically  opposite  to  such  fqlly ;  and  it  is  therefore  your 
first  duty  to  teach  the  true  worship  without  admixing  imaginary 
fears  and  ideal  terrors.  Hence  you  must  not  permit  on  any 
account  to  let  your  child  be  entertained  by  ghost-stories  or  the 
exploded  notions  of  witchcraft,  lest  his  reason  become  obscured 
by  such  revolting  inconsistencies.  And  there  is  danger  of  this 
being  the  case ;  for  it  is  true,  though  an  apparent  paradox,  that 
the  mind  of  most  human  beings  has  a  fondness  for  the  marvel- 
lous and  for  harrowing  recitals ;  they  are  a  species  of  stimu- 
lants which  the  vitiated  taste  will  drink  in  with  the  ear,  as  the 
corrupt  drunkard  swallows  the  intoxicating  poison  as  though  it 
were  a  pleasant  and  wholesome  beverage.  If  therefore  early 
impressions  of  superstition  are  permitted,  if  the  child  is  suffered 
to  become  acquainted  with  such  absurdities,  as  will  cause  him 
to  invest  with  fancied  terrors  many  an  innocent  action,  and 


204  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

people  with  imaginary  beings  the  receptacles  of  the  dead  or 
dark  corners  in  your  dwelling  :  you  expose  him  to  one  of  two 
great  evils ;  you  may  cause  him  in  maturer  years  to  run  the 
danger  of  embracing  infidelity  and  unbelief,  when  he  discovers 
that  the  terrors  of  youth  are  idle,  and  when  a  defective  educa- 
tion has  blended  these  intimately  with  the  everlasting  truths  of 
religion.  For  in  the  presumption  of  boyish  arrogance  many 
are  induced  to  judge  from  uncertain  premises  and  hastily 
drawn  conclusions ;  they  think  they  have  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  every  abstruse  subject  presented  to  them,  because  they  have 
a  little  information  in  popular  sciences  or  a  superficial  acquaint- 
ance with  one  or  the  other  of  the  learned  professions.  If  they 
now  have  any  cause  to  connect  religion  with  acknowledged 
falsities,  they  are  too  apt  to  reject  both,  because  they  do  not 
weigh  the  evidences  and  the  overwhelming  authority  by  which 
the  former  is  supported.  Now  it  is  against  this  unhappy  result 
that  you  must  guard  the  child  from  the  beginning;  let  therefore 
acknowledged  truths  alone  be  brought  to  his  view,  that  he  may 
not  have  any  occasion  to  unlearn  or  reject  as  false  and  unrea- 
sonable any  thing  he  has  once  imbibed  under  your  instruction 
or  by  your  sufferance. — Besides  the  danger  of  infidelity  which 
may  possibly  be  the  consequence  of  an  acquaintance  with 
superstition,  there  is  another  but  little  less  injurious.  If  the  mind 
has  become  once  saturated  with  horrors,  it  is  with  some  tem- 
peraments likely  enough  that  the  impression  will  never  wear 
away,  but  give  a  colouring  to  thoughts,  feelings  and  actions 
throughout  an  entire  life. — It  may  perhaps  be  said,  that  the 
age  of  superstition  has  passed  away,  that  general  enlightenment 
•will  cause  a  greater  tendency  to  an  entire  unbelief  in  all 
spiritual  beings,  than  an  adoption  of  acknowledged  nonentities. 
There  may  be  truth  in  this  remark,  with  regard  to  the  majority 
of  men  in  civilized  countries ;  but  experience  has  also  shown, 
that  there  are  many  exceptions,  and  that  the  mind  can  be 
warped  by  false  inculcations  to  adopt  any  absurdity  which  can 
enter  the  imagination  of  the  veriest  madman  that  ever  lived. 
Superstition  and  mysticism  the  most  horrible  have  existed  side 
by  side  with  the  most  reckless  infidelity  ;*  and  daily  experience 

*  The  atheism  of  the  French  Revolution  was  accompanied  by  the  exist- 
ence of  the  theophilanthropists,  and  the  goddess  of  reason. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  205 

proves  that  at  this  very  hour,  there  are  men,  nay  among  the 
most  enlightened,  who  pat  faith  in  ridiculous  pretensions*  to 
revelation  which  would  have  disgraced  the  age  of  the  cru- 
saders.— Now  a  superstitious  mind  is  constantly  alive  to  un- 
founded apprehensions,  and  invests  things  with  power  which 
are  either  powerless,  or  are  at  all  events  innocuous ;  which 
fancies  will  at  length  destroy  a  healthy  religious  sentiment,  and 
banish  perhaps  a  reliance  on  the  protection  of  the  Supreme. 
Moreover,  superstition,  by  substituting  a  resort  to  acts  for- 
bidden by  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  law,  not  unfrequently 
engenders  fanaticism,  which  is  a  furious  adherence  to  notions 
bearing  a  semblance  to  religion  which  are  far,  veiy  far,  distant 
from  this  holy  principle;  and  superinduce  at  times  acts  of 
barbarity  at  which  sober  reason  has  cause  to  shudder.  Yes ! 
go  to  yonder  hill  and  survey  the  crowd  gathering  below ;  hear 
their  shouting  !  behold  their  evident  ecstasy !  and  do  you  know 
the  cause  ?  Watch  well !  see  yon  youth  decked  out  in  fantas- 
tical garments — see  the  maiden  in  similar  habiliments  following 
her  ardent  brother !  behold  around  them  are  aged  men  bearing 
in  their  hands  images  of  what  they  call  their  saviour !  and 
regard  how  the  youth  and  the  maiden  fix  their  gaze  steadily 
before  them  or  on  vacant  space,  carefully  shunning  to  cast  a 
look  upon  the  idolatrous  figures  which  surround  them !  Now 
hear  the  populace  heaving  forth  their  curses  at  the  unbelievers 
— see  the  lighted  stake,  the  executioners  heaping  up  the  fagots 
for  the  intended  sacrifice !  and  what  think  you  betokens  this 
horrible,  this  fantastical  exhibition?  It  is  a  noble  scion  of 
Israel's  household,  it  is  a  high-souled  maiden  worthy  of  the 
ancient  mothers,  who  are  in  the  enemies'  power,  and  are  led 
forth  to  execution,  because  they  will  not  forswear  the  God  who 
redeemed  our  fathers  !  Their  thoughts  are  turned  to  the  Lord 
of  their  spirits,  their  souls  are  in  communion  with  the  One  King, 
the  everlasting  God ;  they  will  not  listen  to  the  false  priests  who 
offer  them  life,  honour,  and  wrealth,  if  they  will  forsake  the 
renowned  name  which  they  inherited  from  their  ancestors ; 
and  from  mouth  to  mouth  of  the  immense  crowd  it  is  whispered 
that  the  infidels  remain  unrepented,  (for  so  it  is  called  in  their 

*  Mormons,  and  other  similar  fanatics. 
VOL.  in. — 18 


200  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

vain  delusion,)  and  they  heap  maledictions  upon  the  unfortunate, 
and  eagerly  thirst  for  their  martyrdom.  Now  the  devoted  sister 
and  the  ardent  brother  for  the  last  time  on  earth  cast  a  fond 
look  at  each  other ;  their  cheek  is  not  blanched,  their  eye  does 
not  quail ;  but  persevering  in  their  high  resolve,  their  arms  are 
bound  to  the  stake,  and  soon  the  flames  ascend  in  curling  wreaths 
over  their  heads,  and  with  their  last  breath  they  seal  their  devo- 
tion and  their  love  for  the  Holy  One  and  his  law;  and  their 
spirits  speed  hence  to  those  realms  of  bliss,  where  truth  needs 
not  to  fear  the  demon  of  falsehood,  where  the  sword  strikes  not 
to  wound  the  innocent,  where  the  flame  does  not  consume  the 
followers  of  our  holy  faith. — And  yet  their  persecutors  think 
that  they  are  doing  an  acceptable  service  to  the  God  of  love ! 
They  rnurder  the  innocent,  and  fancy  that  He,  who  said  that 
"  from  the  hands  of  all  living  he  would  require  the  soul  of  man," 
could  look  upon  such  barbarity  with  complaisance  and  favour ! 
So  direful  are  the  effects  of  false  belief,  so  repugnant  to  huma- 
nity the  actions  which  it  often  prompts ! — You  may  say  that 
the  picture  just  drawn  belongs  to  times  that  have  long  since 
passed  away ;  we  will  admit  it  in  a  measure ;  but  human 
feelings  and  frailties  are  the  same  in  all  ages,  and  we  capnot 
tell  how  far  a  system  of  folly  may  be  carried,  if  no  steps  are 
taken  to  guard  against  its  extension  or  its  re-entrance,  if  it 
even  should  have  been  totally  banished.  Besides  this  we  are 
occasionally  witnesses  of  isolated  deeds  of  barbarity  and  self- 
immolation,  produced  by  a  wrong  bend  of  the  mind,  when  it  is 
under  the  influence  of  moody  melancholy,  caused  by  a  false 
view  of  the  attributes  of  God ;  such  as  the  ideas  of  a  total 
rejection  from  grace,  an  impossibility  of  repentance,  an  impla- 
cability of  the  Merciful  One,  a  supposition  of  atonement  through 
a  mediator  only,  and  similar  unscriptural  errors.  Happily 
these  errors  are  not  properly  belonging  to  our  people  ;  we  are, 
perhaps,  freer  than  any  other  class  of  men  from  gross  supersti- 
tion and  false  belief;  we  may  freely  say  that  Israelites  have 
for  the  greater  portion  a  general  and  correct  knowledge  of  the 
unchangeable  truths  of  the  Bible :  it  is  nevertheless  not  to  be 
denied  that  minor  superstition  has  not  been  always  foreign  to 
us,  and  that  we  have  often  borrowed  the  erroneous  notions  of  the 
different  countries  in  which  we  happened  to  live.  I  need  not 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  207 

entertain  you  with  the  details  of  the  confident  belief  in  the 
existence  of  witches  and  ghosts,  in  the  efficacy  of  charms  and 
conjurations,  of  good  and  evil  omens,  of  signs  and  portents,  which 
belief  is  even  now  not  altogether  extinct,  to  convince  you  of 
the  correctness  of  the  assertion ;  your  own  knowledge  of  the 
subject  is  amply  sufficient  without  extraneous  proof.  Nor  is  it 
necessary  to  investigate  how  such  absurdities  were  ever  en- 
grafted upon  the  doctrines  of  Holy  Writ  which  energetically 
teach  the  opposite  views;  enough  for  our  purpose  that  we  in 
the  process  of  time  did  not  escape  the  contaminating  influence 
of  error  which  ignorance  had  caused  to  prevail  among  gen- 
tiles ;  and  hence  we  are  bound  to  warn  those  who  are  to  watch 
over  the  education  of  our  children,  be  they  parents,  guardians, 
or  teachers,  to  use  every  effort  to  guard  against  the  growth  of 
superstition,  and  not  to  permit  their  charges  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  such  absurdities  if  it  can  be  avoided.  So  likewise 
they  should  be  very  careful  that  children  hear  nothing  of  the 
erroneous  ideas  concerning  the  Deity  which  are  contrary  to  our 
religion ;  since  these  errors  will  more  or  less  check  the  growth  of 
true  piety,  and  prevent  them  from  acquiring  early  or  correct 
comprehension  of  the  attributes  of  the  Lord  which  are  con- 
tained in  the  law. 

The  subject  of  correct  ideas  of  religion  and  the  errors  of 
superstition  is  of  so  great  importance,  and  occupies  necessarily 
so  ample  a  field,  that  a  moralist  might  will  be  excused  if  he 
were  to  spend  many  hours  in  depicting  it  in  its  various  ramifi- 
cations. But  as  our  present  object  is  merely  to  regard  it  in 
connection  with  a  general  system  of  education,  we  must  leave 
it  in  the  unfinished  state  it  has  been  presented  to  you ;  since  the 
intention  is  more  to  give  you  means  for  reflection  than  a  com- 
plete illustration  of  the  benefits  of  truth  and  the  injury  resulting 
from  falsehood.  You  will  however  readily  distinguish,  that 
the  duty  demanded  of  you  to  inculcate  pure,  unadulterated,  re- 
ligious doctrines,  in  early  youth,  is  of  the  highest  importance ; 
and  that  consequently  you,  as  parents,  are  also  bound  to  watch 
yourselves  in  this  part  of  education  over  the  developement  of 
the  intellect  of  your  child,  and  to  see  that  through  the  agency 
of  others  no  errors  are  instilled  which  might  prevent  the  spread 
of  truth  and  piety.  Hence  it  is  requisite,  that  the  child  be  not 


208  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

left  in  the  society  of  those  who  would  either  from  ignorance 
or  design  counteract  this  part  of  domestic  education;  and  if 
you  hava  to  entrust  him  to  domestics  occasionally,  forbid  them 
energetically  to  indulge  him  with  superstitious  stories,  or  to  in- 
struct him  in  any  manner  in  doctrines  foreign  to  our  religion. — 
So  also,  you  should  never  use  terrors  of  a  mental  nature  to 
frighten  him ;  or  to  make  strange  noises  as  though  an  extraor- 
dinary being  were  coming  to  inflict  some  indefinite  vengeance 
for  any  act  of  disobedience.  All  this  is  totally  wrong.  You, 
the  parents,  should  make  your  words  respected  by  every  one  in 
your  house ;  in  all  worldly  matters  your  orders  should  be  law, 
obedience  to  which  you  should  by  all  means  enforce ;  but  more 
than  all  your  child  should  be  told  that  he  is  bound  to  obey  you, 
because  you  are  his  parents,  who  provide  for  his  wants  and 
watch  over  him  with  fondness  and  care,  that,  as  far  as  lies  in 
your  power,  no  evil  shall  happen  to  him ;  be  in  earnest  in  your 
determination,  and  command  nothing  about  which  you  may 
afterwards  be  indifferent ;  and  you  will  have  no  occasion  to 
call  in  the  aid  of  frightful  figures  to  insure  obedience. — In  the 
same  manner,  when  you  think  proper  to  reward  your  child,  do 
not  employ  the  agency  of  a  supernatural  being  to  bring  the  gift 
to  him ;  a  few  times  he  may  acquiesce  in  the  truth  of  what  you 
tell  him ;  but  he  soon  will  see  through  the  shallow  device,  and 
detect  the  pious  fraud  of  his  progenitors.  It  weakens  your  au- 
thority, when  you  are  convicted  in  the  mind  of  your  child  of 
deception ;  but  reward  direct,  tell  him  you  give  him  this  or  that 
trifle  (it  is  no  use  to  give  valuable  things,)  because  he  has  done 
his  duty  in  a  manner  to  elicit  your  approbation,  and  that  you 
hope  he  will  often  give  you  cause  to  show  him  your  satisfac- 
tion. Although  now  I  would  recommend  a  rare  resort  to  re- 
wards, as  children  should  early  learn  to  love  virtue  for  its  own 
sake  and  not  on  account  of  pay :  still  if  rewards  are  used,  let 
the  child  have  an  opportunity  to  connect  them  with  the  appro- 
bation of  his  parents  and  his  own  good  conduct ;  he  will  thus 
be  taught  to  love  his  duty,  and  perform  it  to  please  his  kind 
father  and  his  affectionate  mother  who  are  so  anxious  to  make 
him  happy. 

To.  encourage  the  child  in  obedience  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
render  the  gradual  execution  of  religious  duties  the  means  to  be 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  209 

employed.  There  are  happily  in  our  religion  certain  offices 
by  which  youths  can  become  gradually  initiated  into  the  way 
they  should  go;  and  tell  your  child  therefore  that  he  shall  be  a 
participant  in  the  others  as  soon  as  he  shows  himself  worthy 
by  a  previous  observance  of  the  duties  already  open  for  him. 
Among  these  initiatory  acts  we  may  reckon  the  offices  in  the 
Synagogue,  which  can  happily  be  held  up  as  objects  of  emula- 
tion to  young  children  even,  and  which  should  be  attainable 
only  by  obedience  and  good  conduct.  So  also  the  reading  of  the 
weekly  section  of  the  prophets,  attainable  only  through  diligence 
at  studies  and  worthy  behaviour ;  it  will  give  a  degree  of  zest 
to  youths  and  make  them  look  upon  themselves  as  having  a 
portion  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  and  stimulate  them  to  be- 
come yet  more  familiar  with  the  ceremonies  and  observances, 
and  to  induce  them  to  be  careful  in  supporting  the  degree  in 
religious  standing  they  have  already  attained.  There  are  so 
many  other  acts  by  which  a  gradual  initiation  may  be  brought 
about  by  judicious  and  religious  parents,  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  dwell  any  longer  upon  details  which  must  at  last  be  left  to 
their  good  judgment.  One  thing  however  I  must  mention,  that, 
as  there  are  no  mysteries  in  our  law,  you  should  endeavour  to 
explain  every  observance  as  well  as  you  can,  exhibit  the  scope 
and  extent  thereof,  and  give  the  reason  for  its  institution 
wherever  the  Scriptures  give  us  such  a  reason;  and  where  no 
cause  is  assigned,  for  instance  in  those  laws  called  statutes  or 
ordinances,  you  may,  or  rather  should,  tell  your  child  at  once 
that  such  commandments  were  instituted  by  the  wisdom  of 
God  to  preserve  Israel  a  distinct  people  among  all  other  nations 
of  the  earth,  to  be  consecrated  to  his  service.  You  gain  greatly 
by  this  exposition  ;  for  by  expounding  to  him  the  reason,  where 
this  is  discoverable,  say  for  instance  the  observance  of  the  Pass- 
over, in  commemoration  of  our  redemption  from  Egypt;  the  in- 
stitution of  the  unleavened  bread,  to  celebrate  the  unprepared- 
ness  of  our  forefathers  when  they  were  released  from  bondage ; 
the  annual  Pentecost,  to  call  to  mind  the  promulgation  of  our 
heavenly  code  from  Sinai, — you  at  once  raise  in  your  child  a 
patriotic  sentiment  of  attachment  to  Israel  at  large,  and  a  de- 
sire to  do  something  to  become  worthy  of  participating  by  his 
acts  in  the  goodness  and  protection  which  the  Lord  has  pro- 

18* 


210  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

mised  to  his  people. — You  can  in  no  manner  whatever  excite  a 
greater  love  for  religion ;  and  by  degrees  he  will  endeavour  to 
copy  your  actions  without  your  being  obliged  to  demand  it 
from  him ;  on  the  contrary,  he  will  think  himself  favoured  if 
you  take  him  with  you  to  the  house  of  God,  if  you  permit  him 
to  go  with  you  to  the  chambers  of  the  sick,  to  be  near  you  at 
the  interring  of  the  dead,  and  to  have  by  your  bounty  the  means 
to  drop  his  trifle  into  the  collection  made  for  the  poor.  And  if 
he  sees  you  earnest  in  your  conduct,  the  thought  of  doubting 
will  not  arise  within  his  mind ;  and  he  will  gradually  become  a 
willing,  understanding,  but  not  a  blind,  follower  of  the  Mosaic 
code. 

It  evidently  is  therefore  your  duty  not  alone  to  show  your 
child  a  holy  example  in  your  own  person;  but  to  keep  those  from 
an  intimate  footing  in  your  house  who  speak  slightingly  of,  or  in 
opposition  to  religion.  If  you  wish  him  to  grow  up  entire  with 
his  God,  you  should  withdraw  him  from  evil  communication;  for 
as  we  illustrated  with  superstition,  the  mind  gradually  becomes 
tainted  with  the  corruption  of  unbelief  and  lukewarmness,  if  it 
is  constantly  or  even  occasionally  exposed  to  the  deleterious 
poison  which  flows  from  the  mouth  of  the  ungodly.  Their  agree- 
able manners  and  pleasant  conversation  are  no  excuse  for  your 
tolerating  their  intercourse ;  and  if  such  persons  are  from  neces- 
sity admitted  to  your  fireside,  you  must  insist  upon  their  keep- 
ing silence  on  disputed  matters  of  religion. — You  may  think  it 
your  duty  to  effect  if  possible  their  conversion  ;  but  do  not  dis- 
pute before  your  child,  till  he  is  old  enough  not  to  be  affected  by 
the  doubts  of  your  antagonist ;  fo  you  cannot  tell  how  an  argu- 
ment badly  conducted  by  the  defender  of  religion  may  operate 
injuriously  upon  the  happiness  of  one  who  may  appear  an 
uninterested  listener.  We  will  leave  out  of  the  question  that 
arguing  with  an  unbeliever  seldom  carries  conviction  with  it; 
since  the  haughty  pride  of  the  human  heart  not  unfrequently 
refuses  to  yield,  even  if  the  arguments  brought  forward  to 
sustain  its  positions  are  weak  and  untenable,  and  often  resorts 
to  abuse  and  ridicule  if  nothing  more  tangible  is  at  hand.  I 
say,  we  will  not  take  this  danger  into  view,  where  the  child 
may-see  sacred  truths  treated  with  contempt  or  levity;  for  even 
if  this  should  not  be,  and  you  should  succeed  in  silencing  the 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  211 

arguments  of  your  opponent  and  he  confess  himself  vanquished : 
still  the  bane  of  infidelity  has  been  infused  in  your  child's  ear, 
and  the  danger  incurred  of  having  thereby  shaken  the  before 
tranquil  acquiescence  in  religious  truths.  It  is  not  that  religion 
is  weak,  or  that  its  tenets  are  not  defensible  by  the  most  cogent 
arguments ;  but  that  it  is  unwise  to  do  any  thing  to  chill  the 
ardour  of  youth  by  exhibiting  in  its  presence  exemplifications 
of  those  wicked  men  whom  it  is  much  better  to  know  in  theory 
only.  It  is  deplorable  enough  that  in  riper  years  our  constancy 
should  be  exposed  to  the  temptations  of  the  world,  and  to  have 
our  hopes  attacked  by  the  shallow  arguments  of  a  sensual  phi- 
losophy, which  attracts  us  because  it  promises  a  gratification  of 
the  passions  undisturbed  by  the  admonition  of  Scripture ;  and 
surely  it  is  best  to  let  the  days  of  early  youth  pass  in  tranquillity 
and  an  entire  acquiescence  in  paternal  admonition,  and  the 
pious  instruction  of  our  first  teachers.  There  is  no  question, 
but  that  much  of  irreligion  is  owing  to  an  early  unsettling  of 
conviction  by  wicked  associates,  and  by  hearing  the  command- 
ments spoken  lightly  of;  for  the  Scriptures  inveigh  against  evil 
companions  for  adults  who  possibly  may  be  fortified  by  a  long 
course  of  reflection,  how  much  more  should  such  be  deprecated 
when  they  may  tend  to  corrupt  the  mind  of  children.  And 
these  are  the  words  of  the  first  Psalm :  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor  standeth  in 
the  way  of  sinners,  nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful ;  but 
whose  delight  is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and  doth  meditate  in 
his  law  day  and  night."  Let  it  be  therefore  your  endeavour  to 
surround  yourselves  only  with  those  who  honour  religion  with 
words  and  actions,  let  those  only  be  the  inmates  of  your  house 
from  whom  no  bad  examples  are  likely  to  operate  on  the  mind 
of  your  child. — In  this  exclusion  of  irreligious  persons  there  is 
no  bigotry  or  persecution ;  for  as  the  guardians  of  the  peace  of 
your  household  you  are  as  much  bound  to  ward  ofF  dangers  to 
the  mental  welfare,  as  you  are  sedulous  to  exclude  the  incen- 
diary from  destroying  your  domicil  whilst  you  are  wrapt  in 
unconscious  sleep.  And  in  this  instance  also  no  less  than  in 
every  other,  prevention  is  far  preferable  to  a  cure ;  and  it  is 
almost  reduced  to  a  certainty,  that  the  child,  if  not  vitiated  by  a 
corrupting  influence,  will  grow  up  gradually  a  true  follower  of 
religion. 


212  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

Such  a  selection  of  associates  around  your  table  becomes  the 
more  necessary  from  our  present  state  of  dispersion  in  small 
numbers  all  over  the  world.  We  live  in  the  midst  of  commu- 
nities whose  system  of  belief  is  not  only  different,  but  who  reject 
totally,  I  may  say  the  whole  of,  the  ceremonial  and  religious 
observances,  if  we  except  a  substitute  for  the  Sabbath.  The 
consequence  is  that  this  corrupting  influence,  I  mean  to  say  the 
different  conduct  of  the  majority,  is  active  beyond  all  calcula- 
tion, and  it  only  requires  the  addition  of  infidel  or  careless  Jews 
to  sap  completely  the  foundation  of  faith  in  the  individual,  un- 
less he  is  strongly  fortified  by  a  knowledge  of  our  holy  law  and 
a  uniform  observance  of  its  precepts.  These  requirements  can- 
not be  looked  for  in  children  ;  and  hence  it  is  evident,  that  they 
should  hear  and  see  nothing  done  in  their  immediate  presence 
which  is  counter  to  the  doctrines  of  our  religion.  By  this 
means  it  is  to  he  hoped  that  the  spirit  of  true  piety  may  be  kept 
alive  in  the  minds  of  your  offspring,  and  they  may  live  to  trans- 
mit the  same  to  succeeding  ages  in  its  untarnished  excellence 
and  undiminished  lustre. 

As  your  child  advances  in  years  you  should  adapt  the  govern- 
ment to  his  increasing  intellectual  capacity ;  and  as  soon  as  he 
is  old  enough  for  comprehending  it,  you  should  enforce  obe- 
dience by  persuasion,  which  should  never  degenerate  into  en- 
treaty, for  the  parents  should  never  be  petitioners,  if  they  mean 
to  preserve  the  authority  which  nature  has  given  them.  Mild- 
ness coupled  with  earnest  firmness  should  always  be  exhibited, 
and  no  relaxation  of  discipline  should  be  accorded  upon  any 
pretence  whatever.  It  is  also  your  duty  to  keep  cool,  no  matter 
what  the  offence  of  the  child  may  be,  and  to  judge  with  calm- 
ness of  the  degree  of  guilt  which  he  has  incurred.  Where 
moral  remedies  fail  of  producing  reformation  or  enforcing  obe- 
dience, physical  means  should  be  resorted  to,  even  to  the  use 
of  the  rod.  Scriptures  here  give  us  a  rule,  which  we  should 
not  set  aside  for  all  the  fancies  of  modern  theorists.  For  so 
says  Solomon  (Proverbs  xiii.  24) :  "  He  that  spareth  the  rod 
hateth  his  child ;  but  he  that  loveth  him  chasteneth  him  be- 
times." And  herein  too  the  blessed  Creator  sets  us  an  exam- 
ple ;  for  when  admonitions  fail  of  working  a  reformation  in 
man,  punishment  is  sent  to  snatch  the  soul  from  the  jaws  of 
perdition.  If  therefore  you  truly  love  your  child,  if  your  views 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  213 

reach  farther  than  the  day,  if  you  can  bear  to  look  upon  his 
tears  more  than  tolerate  evil  conduct :  chastise  him  for  every 
great  dereliction,  when  you  are  convinced  that  mere  words 
will  fail  of  the  desired  effect.  Cruelty  however  should  not  be 
indulged  in,  nor  should  punishment  be  inflicted  whilst  you  are 
angry,  nor  before  you  have  judged  carefully  of  the  degree  of 
the  wrong  which  you  deem  deserving  of  the  rod.  Reason  with 
him,  tell  him  wherein  he  has  failed,  prove  to  him  why  he  de- 
serves and  obtains  punishment ;  and  it  is  highly  probable,  that 
one  infliction  of  the  rod  will  have  a  much  happier  effect  in  cor- 
recting error,  than  a  thousand  barbarous  beatings  in  the  mo- 
ments of  anger,  where  the  child  is  but  too  apt  to  think  himself 
ill-used,  and  which  proceeding  may  produce  a  moodiness  and 
a  sullen  yielding  to  a  command,  without  the  most  remote 
thought  of  reformation.  Consider  that  indulgence  and  undue 
severity  are  both  calculated  to  produce  a  relaxation  of  disci- 
pline ;  for  if  both  the  parents  are  tyrannical,  or  if  the  father 
alone  punishes  with  undue  rigour,  the  offences  committed  in 
their  absence  will  not  be  reported  to  them  even  by  those  who 
have  cause  to  complain,  as  they  will  prefer  not  noticing  the 
injury  to  having  the  child  cruelly  beaten  or  otherwise  cruelly 
punished  ;  and  impunity  thus  obtained  is  eminently  calculated 
to  invite  a  repetition  of  the  offence  which  a  mild  punishment 
might  have  guarded  against. — Let  it  be  a  rule  with  you,  that 
you  expect  good  conduct  and  obedience,  and  insist  upon  the 
members  of  your  household  reporting  to  you  any  flagrant  wrong 
done  in  your  absence  ;  but  let  your  own  deportment  be  so,  that 
they  see  that  you  govern  with  moderate  firmness,  and  they  will 
then  have  no  cause  for  hiding  the  delinquency  of  your  child 
from  your  knowledge.  You  will  in  this  manner  have  a  chance 
of  having  a  constant  watch  over  your  child's  conduct,  which 
is  a  great  point  gained  ;  and  he  will  be  afraid  to  offend,  for  he 
can  find  no  means  of  escaping  detection,  and  knows,  that  he 
will  be  punished  if  he  transgresses.  It  is  with  children  as  with 
grown  men ;  it  is  not  so  much  the  degree  as  the  certainty  of 
punishment  which  deters  them  from  transgressing ;  and  a  judi- 
cious parent  will  let  no  opportunity  pass  to  prove,  by  a  firmness 
that  will  not  yield  where  punishment  should  be  inflicted,  that 
he  means  to  be  obeyed.  ,  If  a  child  now  is  kept  under  constant 


214  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

control,  without  feeling  often  the  means  that  make  him  so :  he 
will  become  habituated  to  obedience,  and  a  moral,  religious 
course  of  conduct ;  he  will  learn  to  love  virtue  and  holiness ; 
and  as  he  grows  up  he  will  have  these  sentiments  engrafted  in 
his  spirit,  and  it  is  highly  probable  that,  strengthened  by  hea- 
venly grace,  which  is  never  denied  to  the  pure  in  mind,  he  will 
be  kept  upright  in  the  way  he  should  go. 

Another  requisite  to  a  proper  training  is,  that  both  parents 
should  coincide  in  the  government  of  the  household.  If  the  one 
deems  it  necessary  to  punish  let  the  other  not  interfere,  espe- 
cially in  the  presence  of  the  child.  It  is  a  positive  encourage- 
ment for  misconduct,  if  he  sees  that  he  is  screened  when  he  has 
transgressed ;  he  will  learn  to  despise  the  authority  of  the  one 
that  indulges  him,  and  to  hate  the  one  that  punishes ;  both 
thereby  lose  their  authority  ;  and  if  in  later  years  the  father  for 
instance  should  be  gathered  to  his  native  earth,  the  indulgent 
mother  will  have  ample  cause  to  repent  that  she  was  the  means 
of  teaching  by  her  weakness  lessons  of  insubordination  and  dis- 
obedience to  a  child  who  now  laughs  at  her  commands,  and 
treats  with  scorn  the  entreaties  of  his  remaining  parent  in  her 
declining  years.  No,  parents  !  be  united,  support  each  other 
in  doing  your  duty  by  your  child  ;  if  the  father  frowns,  let  not 
the  mother  fondle ;  if  the  mother  punishes,  let  not  the  father 
extend  protection ;  but  be  it  your  study  to  act  in  the  fear  of 
God,  and  teach  your  child  by  your  mutual  attachment,  from 
which  he  sees  no  deviation,  to  love  you  equally,  to  fear  you 
equally ;  that  he  may  be  stimulated  to  honour  you  both  alike 
as  the  law  requires ;  and  that,  growing  up  in  obedience  to  the 
religion  of  our  fathers,  he  may  indeed  merit  the  blessing  of  a 
long  life  on  the  earth  to  your  satisfaction  and  the  well-being  of 
all  his  associates,  and  become  a  child  of  immortal  glory  through 
a  love  of  God  and  the  fear  of  his  word,  which  are  the  beginning 
of  all  wisdom. 

May  the  name  of  the  Lord  be  blessed  from  now  and  unto  all 
eternity.     Amen. 

Kislev  2nd 
Nov.  27th 


215 


DISCOURSE  XVIII. 

RELIGIOUS     EDUCATION". 

O  GOD  of  everlasting!  we  approach  Thee  to  crave  thy 
blessing  and  the  grant  of  thy  protection  from  the  many  evils  to 
which  we  are  exposed.  Give  us  fortitude  to  submit  to  thy 
visitation,  and  strengthen  us  with  thy  undeserved  grace,  that 
we  may  remain  firm  in  obedience  when  the  allurements  of  sin 
would  withdraw  us  from  the  path  of  life.  And  as  Thou  ever 
nearest  the  prayer  of  the  humble  and  penitent :  permit  our 
words  to  come  before  Thee,  and  despise  not  the  outpourings  of 
the  heart  of  the  outcasts  of  Israel  in  the  regions  distant  from 
their  heritage  where  Thou  dost  cause  them  to  dwell;  but 
do  Thou  according  to  their  request,  and  give  them  an  under- 
standing mind  to  comprehend  the  words  of  thy  law,  and  remove 
all  obstacles  which  may  oppose  their  obeying  in  truth  the  pre- 
cepts which  Thou  hast  ordained.  And  O !  give  firmness  to 
those  of  thy  children  who  are  assailed  by  flattery  and  the  cor- 
rupting influence  of  their  enemies,  to  resist  the  direful  tempta- 
tions, and  to  remain  steadfast  in  the  pursuance  of  thy  holy  will; 
so  that  the  machinations  of  those  who  wish  to  blot  out  Israel's 
name  from  among  the  nations  may  be  turned  to  naught,  and 
they  be  covered  with  shame  and  confusion,  even  as  was 
Senacherib  who  dared  to  blaspheme  thy  holy  name,  and  as 
were  the  Philistines  who  relied  upon  the  strength  of  their 
champion  against  the  armies  of  the  living  God. — May  this  be 
thy  will.  Amen  ! 

BRETHREN ! 

It  is  a  solemn  duty  enjoined  in  the  Scriptures  to  use  every 
effort  within  your  reach  to  render  your  children  fit  servants  of 
the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  to  imbue  their  minds  with 
such  sentiments  as  will  make  them  love  their  duties,  and  enable 
them  to  have  a  proper  firmness  to  resist  doing  wrong  whenever 


216  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

temptation  and  opportunity  may  present  themselves.  For  as 
your  children  advance  in  life,  and  are  gradually  withdrawn 
from  your  care  and  observation,  they  will  be  exposed  to 
influences  which  will  greatly  tend  to  remove  entirely  all  your 
early  lessons,  unless  you  have  implanted  in  them  the  root  of  all 
the  principles  according  to  which  you  act  yourselves,  and 
desire  them  to  act.  Your  duty  therefore  is  not  completed  if 
you  merely  tell  your  children  once  what  you  expect  of  them  to 
do,  and  you  ought  not  to  be  satisfied  if  they  are  well-behaved 
and  decorous  in  your  presence ;  but  you  should  furnish  them 
with  such  sentiments  as  will  stand  by  them  instead  of  parental 
superintendence  and  care,  which  should  act  as  a  check  upon 
them  when  they  are  alone  or  far  removed  from  those  whom 
they  have  to  fear  or  whom  they  love.  Mere  morality  will  not 
effect  this ;  by  this  I  mean,  that  lessons  of  virtue  stripped  from 
the  consideration  of  duty  to  a  higher  Being,  and  merely  based 
upon  ideas  of  expediency  and  prudential  considerations,  may 
engender  a  cautious,  kind,  and  apparently  benevolent  character, 
but  will  not  confer  that  degree  of  firmness,  which  could  induce 
us  to  resist  the  impulse  for  wrong  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking.  For  what  is  your  system  of  morality,  so  called, 
based  on  ?  We  answer,  expediency  only !  Now  it  is  well 
whilst  correct  conduct  and  this  selfish  principle  point  out  the 
same  road,  for  then  the  mere  moralist  will  without  doubt  do 
what  all  must  acknowledge  to  be  right;  but  let  the- case  be 
different ;  let  us  imagine  a  situation  where  we  are  drawn  to  an 
attractive  transgression  by  a  strong  appeal  to  our  senses,  where 
those  we  fear  are  far  away,  where  those  whom  we  would  on 
no  account  grieve  by  our  actions  are  not  likely  to  become 
cognizant  of  our  sinning:  and  then  tell  me,  where  our  con- 
stancy, our  resistance  would  be  ?  Where  is  the  sentiment  to 
restrain  us?  Tell  me  not  of  the  dignity  of  human  nature,  of 
the  sublime  attributes  of  the  human  soul;  for  the  man  of  the 
world  who  has  no  other  check  than  morality,  will  have  ample 
means,  because  he  has  a  wide  range  of  permitted  actions,  to 
hide  from  others  any  thing  which  they  might  call  unworthy 
and  undignified,  at  least  he  will  endeavour  to  preserve  the 
gilded  exterior,  till  his  real  sentiments  and  character  are  at 
length  accidentally  laid  bare ;  and  the  sublime  attributes  of  our 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 


217 


soul,  such  as  social  love,  the  feeling  of  honour  and  of  benevo- 
lence, are  only  too  well  calculated  to  lull  the  spirit  into  security 
whenever  self  is  brought  into  competition  with  the  rights  of 
others ;  for  then  we  are  apt  to  disregard  the  love  for  our  fellow, 
because  we  may  thereby  be  exposed  to  injury  or  inconvenience; 
feelings  of  honour  may  prompt  us  to  revenge,  because  we  may 
think  our  honour  wounded  or  our  dignity  outraged ;  and  lastly, 
the  so  called  feeling  of  benevolence  may  by  some  strange 
fatuity  move  us  to  protect  ourselves  before  we  take  a  view  of 
the  wants  of  others,  although  if  we  were  to  reflect  with  candour 
we  would  find  that  we  have  enough  for  others  as  well  as  for 
ourselves.  We  therefore  say,  that  morality,  in  itself,  is  not  the 
guide  which  we  ought  to  place  before  our  children  in  their 
commencement  of  life,  and  point  it  out  as  the  check  which  is 
to  assist  them  in  the  restraining  of  the  desires  and  passions. 

"  What  guide,  then,  would  you  recommend  V     Need  I  tell 
you,  beloved   brethren,   the   name  of  this  blessed  principle  ? 
know  you  it  not  without  the  words  of  a  public  teacher?  Surely 
the  heart  of  Israelites  recognizes  full  well  the   heavenly  gift 
which  has  sustained  them  when  their  spirit  wa-s  drooping,  when 
their  foot  was  weary  amid  the  many  pilgrimages  which  they 
had  to  encounter  since  the  first  hour  they  heard  the  voice  of 
the  Everlasting  Father  speaking  to  them  from  the  midst  of  the 
fire,  on  that  day  when  the  unity  of  the  Lord  and  his  will  were 
made  known  from  the  thick  clouds  of  glory  that  enveloped  the 
summit  of  the  chosen  mountain  of  Sinai ! — The  terrific  fire  of 
the  promulgation  of  the  Decalogue  did  not  blaze   long;  the 
wonderful  sounds  soon  died  away  in  the  stillness  which  fol- 
lowed ;  the  pageant  of  millions  assembled  in  attentive  silence 
was  speedily  dissolved:  and  still   the  words  then  announced 
have  stood  the  bulwark  of  our  people  against  foreign  tyranny 
and   domestic   disunion,  against  outward  oppression  and  the 
defection  of  the  faithless  in  our  own  household ;  and  we  have 
remained  as  a  body  faithful  to  our  trust,  though  our  Father's 
warnings  are  no  longer  audibly  announced  as  in  days  of  yore 
through  the  mouth  of  his  servants.     This  then,  brethren,  is  the 
principle  which  you  should  recommend  to  your  children,  this  is 
the  guide  you  should  set  before  them. — If  now  you  have  the 
VOL.  in. — 19 


218  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

happiness  to  succeed  in  rearing  them  up  faithful  followers  of 

this  law,  if  you  witness  in  them  an  adoption  of  the  duties  it 

enjoins,  and  of  the  doctrines  on  which  it  is  founded  :  you  need 

not  tremble  for  their  future  welfare,  for  it  is  then  founded  upon 

a  basis  which   is  probable  to  remain   unshaken  during  their 

whole  lives.     For  where  the  law  of  God  purifies  the  thoughts, 

where  its  statutes  direct  the  bond,  can  we  entertain  a  doubt 

that  a  common  benefit  will  result  from  a  mind  so  trained,  from 

actions  so  prompted  ?     We  say  "  a  common  benefit  ;"  for  it  is 

not  here  like  with  the  expediency  of  the  mere  moralist,  where 

the  agent  looks  to  his  own  interest,  provided  it  comes  not  in 

direct  conflict  with  that  of  others  ;   since  the  Israelite,  who 

deserves  the  name,  will  forego  his  own  interest  in  every  point 

where  the  law  asks  it  of  him  ;  he  will  assist  his  enemy,*  though 

he  have  no  hope  of  conciliating  him  ;  he  will  restrain  revenge,f 

though  the  offender  be  in  his  power  ;  and  he  will  assistj  with 

his  wealth  and  his  services  the  needy  and  indigent,  though  the 

release-year  be  near  at  hand,  and  he  can  thus  have  no  farther 

claim  upon  their  repaying  him  the  amount  of  their  indebtedness. 

But  it  is  not  the  effect  of  the  law  upon  others  we  wish  now  to 

discuss,  although  it  is  a  fruitful  theme  which  might  well  inspire 

the  eloquent  with  noble  thoughts,  and  afford  him  a  fine  field  to 

descant  upon  the  mercy  of  the  Most  High  in  so  watching  over 

the  welfare  of  his  creatures  as  to  bestow  it  on  them  for  their 

social  guidance  ;  we  will  to-day  regard  it  only  in  its  workings 

upon  the  individuals  themselves  subject  to  its  rule,  and  trace 

the  progress  by  which  it  renders  them  the  children  of  salvation 

under  the  law.     For  our  text  we   will   take  the   following 

passage  : 


vm  DDT 


inon  -]ro&':)  on  -on   DDOI  nx  onx 
ninro  hy  omroi  : 


*  Exodus  xxiii.  4,  5.  f  Leviticus  xix.  18.  J  Deut.  xv.  9. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  219 

"  Therefore,  shall  ye  lay  up  these  my  words  in  your  heart,  and  in  your 
soul,  and  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  your  hand,  and  they  shall  be  as  frontlets 
between  your  eyes.  And  ye  shall  teach  them  to  your  children,  speaking  of 
them  when  thou  sittest  in  thy  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way, 
when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up.  And  thou  shall  write  them 
upon  the  door-posts  of  thy  house  and  upon  thy  gates."  Dent.  xi.  18-20. 

The  Scriptures,  you  will  observe,  connect  personal  piety  -with 
the  education  of  children;  or  in  other  words,  they  demand  of  the 
parents  example  no  less  than  precept.  In  the  verses  preceding  our 
text  is  contained  a  denunciation  of  punishment  for  disobedience 
and  defection  ;  and  as  the  reverse,  or  the  means  to  avoid  punish- 
ment, you  are  told :  "  Therefore,  shall  ye  lay  up  these  my  words 
in  your  heart  and  in  your  soul ;"  to  avoid  sinning  and  its  neces- 
sary visitation  you  should  be  perfectly  alive  to  religious  obliga- 
tion, your  body  (the  heart)  and  your  spirit  (the  soul)  should 
equally  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Most  High ;  and  every 
feeling  which  prompts  you  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  nature, 
every  thought  which  dwells  upon  the  vastness  of  the  Creator's 
works,  which  reflects  upon  your  own  being  and  your  destiny  in 
the  light  of  Israelites  and  of  men,  should  all  be  alike  in  con- 
sonance with  his  wishes  and  his  behests  as  contained  in  his 
revealed  word  which  He  made  known  to  our  fathers.  The 
heads  of  the  household  should  exhibit  no  levity  in  speaking  of 
the  commandments,  no  disregard  to  the  observance  of  the  di- 
vine ordinances,  no  doubting  of  the  truths  and  doctrines  of  the 
Bible  ;  and  in  doing  any  act,  they  should  be  careful,  that  it  be 
entirely  in  accordance  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  law. 
The  house  should  be  surrounded  with  evidences  of  the  inmates 
being  Israelites ;  every  thing  should  be  regulated  according  to 
the  principles  of  your  ancestors ;  the  food,  the  drink,  the  man- 
ner of  speaking  should  all  be  different  from  gentile  custom,  and 
no  hesitation  should  be  shown,  because  such  conduct  would 
render  you  objects  of  curiosity  and  inquiry  to  those  who  are 
strangers  to  our  people.  "  Lay  these  my  words  upon  your 
heart,"  you  are  told ;  it  is  no  matter  what  others  think  of  you, 
you  must  not  be  afraid  of  the  surprise  which  might  be  expressed 
in  discovering  you  in  your  own  peculiar  Israelitish  rites ;  but 
"  Ye  shall  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  your  hand ;"  bind  the  me- 
morial of  the  law  literally  in  your  hand ;  place  it  there  at  least 


220  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

during  your  morning-worship,  to  remind  you  of  your  obligation 
to  the  Lord  for  his  manifold  blessings,  in  calling  your  early 
fathers  to  his  service,  in  redeeming  you  from  Egyptian  bond- 
age, in  giving  you  his  laws,  and  in  preserving  you  to  stand 
before  Him  despite  of  the  thousands  of  calamities  which  befel 
you;  place  it  on  your  forehead,  ornament  yourselves  with  the 
crown  of  the  law,  to  confess  that  you  subject  your  feelings  and 
your  thoughts  to  divine  rule,  and  to  acknowledge  that  the  Lord's 
are  the  power  and  the  government  to  do  in  all  the  world's 
according  to  his  almighty  will ;  and  by  this  means  you  will 
obtain  firmness  and  strength  to  be  bold  and  unflinching  when 
temptation  would  lure  you  away  to  follow  other  gods  and  bow 
down  to  them.     And  not  only  for  the  days  of  Moses  was  this 
said,  when  gross  idolatry  was  the  prevailing  sin   of  all  the 
world;  but  also  for  the  present  hour;  for  if  we  do  not  worship 
stocks  and  stones,  and  bow  down  to  a  god  who  cannot  save, 
we  nevertheless  have  within  us  unhallowed  passions  and  un- 
clean desires,  and  we  worship  the  love  for  gold,  the  inclination 
for  unlawful  pleasures,  the  demon  of  ambition,  and  the  lust  for 
places  incompatible  with  religion,  which  all  are  equally  unable 
to  raise  the  soul  above  the  mortality  of  this  life  into  the  presence 
of  our  Maker,  and  are  all  alike  false  idols  to  which  our  ever- 
lasting happiness  is  so  often  sacrificed.     The  institutions  there- 
fore which  were  wise  in  the  days  of  Moses,  which  were  then 
calculated  to  rivet  closer  the  bonds  of  the  law :  are  so  yet  at 
this  very  day;  practise  them  therefore  before  your  children, 
and  show  them  how  they  are  to  obey  the  commands  which 
you  lay  before  them.     If  you  do  this  in  all  truth  and  in  entire 
simpleness  of  faith,  you  can  then  proceed  to  the  next  duty: 
"  And  you  shall  teach  them  to  your  children  ;"  it  is  not  enough 
that  you  tell  them  where  they  may  find  the  word  of  God,  and 
it  is  not  doing  your  duty,  to  let  them  put  upon  it  their  own  in- 
terpretation ;  but  you  yourselves,  fathers  and  mothers,  should 
instruct  them  in  the  words  of  life  and  interpret  the  text  for  them 
in  the  manner  it  is  accepted  among  Israel.     Two  duties  pro- 
ceed out  of  this  consideration ;  first,  it  is  the  business  of  parents 
to  make  themselves  thoroughly  acquainted  with  at  least  the  five 
books  of  Moses,  the  law  proper,  and  omit  no  occasion  to  teach 
the  duties  thereof  to  their  children ;  not  that  their  studies  should 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  221 

be  confined  to  this  part  of  the  Bible  only,  but  that  the  poorest 
persons,  or  those  who  daily  have  to  toil  for  their  bread,  should 
endeavour  to  become  at  all  events  familiar  with  this,  that  they 
might  have  it  in  their  power  to  become  proper  instructors  of 
their  offspring ;  though  we  can  hardly  imagine  a  family  so  con- 
stantly occupied,  that  they  could  not  read  with  care  the  whole 
record  of  revelation  and  occasionally  those  good  works  which 
have  been  written  by  pious  Israelites,  in  order  to  become  them- 
selves more  firm  in  faith,  and  to  render  the  instruction  more 
agreeable  and  varied  to  their  juniors.-r-Secondly,  they  are 
bound  to  search  for  pious  and  intelligent  teachers,  to  whom 
alone  they  should  entrust  the  education  of  their  children.  For 
it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  it  is  a  bad  system  to  send  sons  and 
daughters  of  Israel  at  an  early  age  to  schools  where  either  no 
religion  at  all,  or  one  of  an  opposite  character  to  our  own,  is 
taught.  In  the  one  case  the  love  of  revelation  is  not  encouraged, 
in  the  other,  feelings  are  called  into  action  and  a  species  of  con- 
viction of  non-admitted  and  inadmissible  doctrines  is  produced, 
which  will  materially  affect  the  due  observance  of  our  religious 
rites.  It  were  indeed  advisable,  that  children  should  know 
very  little,  at  all  events  not  more  than  is  unavoidable,  of  the 
existence  of  a  difference  of  religion;  since  by  this  method  a 
deep-seated  adherence  to  the  early  lessons  of  piety  is  impressed 
on  the  mind,  before  the  doubts  which  are  consequent  upon  a 
view  of  the  multifarious  shades  of  belief  are  elicited;  and  parents 
thus  give  such  a  strength  to  the  principles  which  they  practise 
in  their  families,  that  the  ready  imitation  of  the  same  by  the 
children  is  more  easily  attained. — It  will  not  do  to  assert, 
that  in  general  schools  children  are  taught  nothing  bad ;  for, 
brethren !  you  are  not  to  be  content  with  a  mere  negative  edu- 
cation ;  there  is  nothing  negative  in  virtue,  all  at  length  depends 
upon  the  performance  of  certain  acts,  whether  they  be  cere- 
monial or  social  duties,  without  which  civil  security  itself  can- 
not be  obtained  ;  for  this  too  requires  action  for  its  firm  estab- 
lishment. We  say  therefore  that  religious  tuition  should  be  a 
part  of  the  daily  exercises  in  school ;  Bible  reading  and  Bible 
explanations  are  a  necessary  branch  of  a  Jewish  education ; 
and  hence,  where  practicable,  Jewish  teachers,  if  not  alone,  at 
all  events  jointly,  ought  to  have  the  superintendence  of  our 

19* 


222  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

youths. — Some  may  perhaps  suppose  that  much  time  must  be 
lost  to  the  acquisition  of  sciences  and  general  knowledge  by  so 
much  care  bestowed  upon  religion,  which  they  justly  say  rests 
but  upon  a  few  easily  understood  principles.  But  there  is  a 
great  error  in  both  these  assertions.  First,  it  is  not  true,  that 
the  time  bestowed  on  the  Bible  and  its  elucidation  is  lost  or 
misspent.  We  will  admit  for  argument's  sake,  that  by  this 
study  the  hours  to  be  devoted  to  grammar,  history,  and  other 
sciences  should  have  to  be  diminished;  still  can  this  not  be 
called  a  loss.  For  let  us  ask,  what  do  you  want  to  teach  by 
sciences  ?  certainly  nothing  more,  than  to  give  to  the  young 
correct  views  of  life,  and  enable  them  to  judge  with  propriety 
of  things  to  be  hereafter  presented  to  them.  So  is  grammar  to 
enable  them  to  speak  and  write  with  propriety ;  history  to  in- 
form them  of  the  acts  of  past  ages,  and  to  give  them  examples 
of  good  men  to  be  imitated  and  wicked  ones  whose  deeds  should 
be  abhorred ;  and  so  with  other  things.  Now  we  demand,  is 
religious  knowledge  not  something  which  is  to  become  useful 
to  children  hereafter?  is  it  not  calculated  to  enable  them  to 
judge  with  propriety  of  many  subjects  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance ?  If  you  then  call  sciences  the  ornament  of  life,  religion 
surely  is  far  more,  it  is  the  essential  of  our  existence ;  and  hence 
it  is  a  science  above  all  to  be  acquired  with  diligent  study. 
But  it  is  not  true,  that  the  time  devoted  to  such  information  is 
lost  to  the  elegant  branches.  So  many  collateral  matters  be- 
come necessarily  mixed  up  with  a  study  of  Scripture,  that  an 
intelligent  teacher  will  find  it  an  excellent  vehicle  to  communi- 
cate all  the  necessary  information  whilst  engaged  in  this  alone; 
especially  if  we  go  according  to  the  good  old  custom,  and  teach 
the  Hebrew  at  once,  and  read  the  Bible  from  the  original  only, 
and  employ  all  the  aids  which  modern  learning  has  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  sacred  volume.  This  will  at  once  require  and 
employ  the  study  of  grammar,  both  of  the  language  of  Israel 
and  the  vernacular  of  the  country ;  a  geographical  survey  of 
the  different  regions  mentioned  in  the  Bible ;  comparative  his- 
tory of  the  tribes  and  nations  occurring  in  the  narrative ;  be- 
sides such  other  matters,  (for  instance  the  natural  history  of  the 
animals,  plants,  and  minerals,  whose  names  occur  in  the  law 
and  prophets,  and  a  survey  of  the  manufactures  and  manners 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  223 

of  the  ancients,)  which  will  suggest  themselves  to  an  enlightened 
inquirer  in  religion.  In  truth,  the  Bible  is  a  magnificent  study 
for  itself;  which  is  evidenced  by  the  many  learned  and  excel- 
lent works  written  to  illustrate,  and  the  many  great  minds  who 
have  devoted  themselves  solely  to  explain  its  text  and  to  clear 
up  the  obscurities  which  have  at  times  presented  themselves, 
because  we  are  not  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  imagery  it  ex- 
hibits and  the  customs  and  characters  it  portrays.  We  may 
assert  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  there  are  not  many 
men,  if  there  be  indeed  one,  with  sufficient  information  to  ex- 
plain correctly  the  books  of  Scripture,  so  rich,  and  magnificent, 
and  inexhaustible  are  their  stores. — Besides  this,  no  study  need 
be  neglected  on  account  of  religious  instruction ;  there  is  ample 
time,  if  properly  economized,  for  children  to  become  acquainted 
with  every  thing  for  which  they  have  capacity  and  which  can 
be  useful  to  them.  It  is  a  great  folly  to  suppose  that  it  is  ad- 
vantageous for  a  child  to  be  an  early  genius,  and  to  display 
rare  excellence  above  others  of  the  same  age ;  for  in  this  way 
indolence  and  a  degree  of  self-sufficiency  are  very  apt  to  be 
produced,  which  are  injurious  alike  to  an  advancement  in  know-- 
legde  and  an  amiable  deportment.  If  therefore  religious  educa- 
tion should  retard  the  progress  in  other  matters  a  year  or  two, 
(if  we  take  different  children  of  equal  capacity  educated  in  dif- 
ferent systems,  that  is  to  say  one  with  the  other  without  religion, 
as  a  criterion:)  still  nothing  would  be  lost  thereby  in  the  end;  for 
what  the  one  would  gain  by  a  greater  leisure,  the  other  would 
far  more  than  equal  by  a  greater  degree  of  solidity  and  an  en- 
larged capacity  for  deeper  studies.  But  even  this  danger  of  a 
delay  in  advancement  is  in  all  probability  overrated ;  for  dif- 
ferent studies,  provided  they  are  not  too  numerous  and  difficult, 
rather  assist  each  other,  and  are  a  sort  of  relief  for  the  student; 
and  I  can  see  no  reason  why  religion  viewed  as  a  study  should 
differ  from  any  other,  since  it  is  no  doubt  true,  that  to  the  young 
the  subject  presents  itself  by  no  means  in  the  unattractive  light 
it  often  does  to  adults,  because  it  demands  of  these  to  restrain 
passions  and  desires  which  the  former  have  never  yet  felt. 

With  regard  to  the  objection  we  supposed  as  made  against 
the  necessity  of  teaching  religion,  because  it  rests  upon  a  few 
easily  understood  principles  :  we  will  state,  that  the  Jewish 


224  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

faith  is  in  truth  founded  upon  the  great  self-evident  principle  of 
the  existence  of  God,  secondly  upon  the  existence  of  a  revela- 
tion from  God,  and  thirdly  upon  the  existence  of  rewards  and 
punishments,  inasmuch  as  the  other  doctrines  which  we  profess 
are  derived  from  one  or  the  other  of  these  cardinal  points. 
Nevertheless,  we  maintain  that  it  is  of  the  highest  importance 
that  children  should  learn  these  principles  from  believing  persons, 
and  that  great  care  should  be  taken  that  no  false  or  inaccurate 
doctrines  should  be  added  to  or  substituted  for  them.  We  all 
know,  or  ought  to  know,  that  our  mind  is  so  constituted  that  it 
will  imbibe  every  thing  presented  to  it,  especially  in  youth  ;  and 
the  grossest  errors,  as  now  viewed,  have  been  at  one  time  or 
another  the  prevailing  sentiments  of  mankind.  Even  in  our 
own  day,  are  we  not  constantly  startled  by  the  profession  of 
creeds  which  we  Israelites  cannot  in  any  way  acknowledge  ? 
And  their  existence,  as  generally  admitted  truths,  can  only  be 
accounted  for  on  the  ground  that  early  education  has  rendered 
them  acceptable  to  those  holding  them  ;  for  we  have  no  right 
to  doubt  upon  vague  surmises  the  sincerity  of  any  of  our  fellow- 
beings,  and  we  must  therefore  suppose  that  persons  holding 
doctrines,  say  the  opposite  of  ours,  may  be  perfectly  sincere  in 
believing  them,  no  less  than  we  ourselves  are  in  maintaining 
our  own  pure  faith.  It  is,  as  we  said,  the  constant  hearing 
of  such  matters  in  youth,  and  having  nothing  offered  that  runs 
contrary  to  them,  which  render  them  so  convincing  to  their 
professors  that  they  acquiesce  in  them  as  though  they  were  well- 
ascertained  truths.  If  now  Jewish  children  are  exposed  to  the 
same  influence  with  those  of  our  gentile  neighbours,  I  ask  what 
can  you  expect,  but  that  they  too  should  become  tainted  with 
the  leaven  of  erroneous  belief,  and  be  made  converts  to  one  or 
more  doctrines  which  we  cannot  admit  as  true  ?  Say  you, 
that  it  matters  not  what  young  children  think  of  controverted 
theology,  and  that  when  they  grow  up  it  is  time  enough  to 
teach  them  our  doctrines.  But  this  is  again  a  fatal  error.  We 
know  from  experience  how  difficult  it  is  to  convince  a  gentile 
of  the  erroneousness  of  his  belief,  whilst  we  cannot  comprehend 
how  it  is  possible  for  him  to  hesitate  yielding  himself  to  the  con- 
viction which  the  Scriptures  offer ;  hence  our  hesitation  in 
admitting  persons  not  born  Israelites  to  our  communion,  be- 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  225 

cause  we  should  suspect  their  having  that  conviction  which  is 
necessary  for  the  adoption  of  our  religion,  till  we  have  no  longer 
any  motive  to  doubt  their  professed  sincerity. — If  now  you  leave 
a  Jewish  child  to  the  same  in^uence  which  warps  the  gentile's 
mind,  you  in  fact  teach  him  gentile  doctrines ;  and  you  will  be, 
and  deserve  to  be,  sorely  grieved  if  with  advancing  years  you 
find  it  difficult  to  make  him  adopt  the  doctrines  which  you 
yourselves  profess.  His  mind  has  been  rendered  unjewish ;  he 
has  to  unlearn  what  he  considered  true  hitherto ;  and  one  of 
two  things  may  occur,  he  either  may  adhere  to  his  early-im- 
bibed notions,  or  become  an  infidel,  rejecting  what  he  once 
learnt,  and  what  you  now  wish  to  teach  him.  If  you  can  suc- 
ceed in  convincing  him  of  our  holy  law,  and  induce  him  to 
adopt  it  as  true :  still  there  may  remain  lurking  some  ideas 
which  are  not  orthodox  and  which  may  impart  a  shadow  and 
colouring  to  his  religious  conduct,  which  cannot  be  defended 
upon  pure  biblical  grounds. — Believe  me  one  thing,  simple  as 
is  our  religion  in  its  foundation,  it  must  be  early  infused,  that  is 
the  precise  word,  into  the  mind  to  become  united  with,  and  in- 
separable from  the  soul.  There  should  be  no  necessity  for  con- 
verting our  own  children,  they  ought  to  be  Jews  in  every  stage 
of  their  being.  As  soon  therefore  as  they  begin  to  learn,  the  unity 
of  God  should  be  held  up  to  their  adoption,  not  so  much  by 
argument  to  prove  its  being  so,  as  by  simple  information.  The 
proofs  of  the  existence  of  the  Deity  are  so  universal  that  you 
can  easily  lead  the  youngest  even  to  comprehend  that  every 
thing  was  made  by  a  superior  Power ;  and  the  uniformity  of 
design  in  every  creature  will  elucidate  the  universality  of  this 
Power ;  and  the  harmony  in  the  whole  chain  of  existence,  the 
regularity  of  the  movements  of  all  the  beings  whom  we  can 
observe,  and  the  use  one  thing  is  to  another  prove  that  this 
superior,  universal  Power  is  also  one  and  uniform.  Yet  even 
this  simple  doctrine  will  require  a  length  of  time  to  become 
perfectly  familiar,  readily  as  it  impresses  itself  with  immovable 
conviction  upon  the  minds  of  educated  Israelites. — Let  us  next 
view  the  second  cardinal  article  of  our  creed :  "  There  is  a 
revelation  from  the  superior,  universal,  one  and  uniform 
Power;"  again  let  this  be  taught  without  much  argument, 
which,  let  me  remark,  will  naturally  have  but  little  weight  with 


226  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

children,  for  they  will  sooner  take  your  simple  assertion,  when 
they  once  have  confidence  in  you,  than  listen  to  reasoning 
which  is  perhaps  beyond  their  comprehension.  So  then  tell 
them,  that  the  Lord  God,  or  the  ONE  as  we  called  Him,  made 
himself  audibly  manifest  to  our  ancestors  and  other  great  men 
of  former  times,  and  communicated  to  them  the  duties  they 
should  observe,  and  those  acts  which  they  should  carefully 
avoid.  And  as  therefore  we  thus  know  what  is  right,  which 
is  also  our  duty  to  do,  and  what  is  wrong,  which  is  what  we 
should  avoid  :  we  will  be  held  responsible  for  our  actions  which 
we  do  when  we  are  not  under  restraint  or  impelled  by  una- 
voidable necessity.  This  at  once  will  open  for  you  an  oppor- 
tunity to  descant  on  reward  and  punishment;  and  you  can  tell 
your  charges,  how  the  Lord  made  man  of  soul  and  body,  and 
that  though  the  latter  is  destroyed  by  death,  the  former  will  yet 
survive,  and  receive  then  such  reward  for  past  conduct,  as  He, 
the  Lord,  may  deem  just  and  proper. — We  concede  that  these 
principles  follow  so  clearly  from  each  other,  that  a  reasoning 
person  will  readily  admit  them  as  true;  but  again  we  say,  it  takes 
time  to  impress  them  sufficiently  upon  the  understanding  of  the 
young ;  and  once  telling  them,  will  not  suffice  to  prevent  the 
growth  of  error  from  other  causes.  Besides  this,  as  soon  as  you 
teach  the  child  that  there  is  a  revelation,  it  is  natural  that  he 
should  ask  to  be  informed,  what  this  revelation  is ;  will  you  then 
dismiss  him  with  a  mere  reference  to  the  Bible,  and  tell  him  to  "go 
and  read  ?"  Suppose  you  were  to  pursue  such  a  system  with  the 
study  of  grammar,  do  you  really  think  that  any  progress  would  be 
made  in  it  ?  And  yet  you  assert,  that  religion  of  all  sciences 
requires  no  teaching,  and  that  it  is  time  misspent  to  inculcate  it ! 
— No,  brethren,  our  holy  faith  is  simple  and  pure ;  but  it  demands 
actions  as  well  as  belief,  and  these  actions  are  a  proper  study  for 
youths,  and  the  Bible  a  book  which  merits  and  should  receive 
a  thorough  reading  and  a  sound  interpretation  in  all  our  schools. 
It  is  the  word  of  salvation,  it  is  the  word  of  truth,  it  is  the  will 
of  the  God  of  truth  who  desires  thereby  to  render  us  fit  for  ever- 
lasting happiness.  And,  therefore,  we  demand,  that  it  be  the 
first  study  both  as  to  time  and  duration,  which  you  should  pre- 
sent to  your  children,  that  they  may  become  early  familiar  with 
its  principles  and  duties,  and  have  a  long  season  to  apply  these 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  227 

to  life,  and  regulate  it  by  the  doctrines  which  you  offer  for  their 
acceptance.  In  the  same  manner  you  are  bound  to  prevent 
their  becoming  familiar  with  the  doctrines  which  we  call 
erroneous,  and  against  which  the  Scriptures  warn  us  as  injuri- 
ous and  calculated  to  make  us  forget  our  religious  duties. 
Hence  it  arises,  that  it  is  exceedingly  sinful  to  send  children 
entirely  among  gentiles,  to  eat  and  drink  with  them,  and  to 
become  thoroughly  imbued  with  their  doctrines ;  since  this 
course  is  certainly  the  most  injurious  in  forming  a  Jewish 
character.  And  as  parents  have  not  always  the  leisure  or 
information  to  become  their  spiritual  guides,  it  evidently  be- 
comes the  duty  of  all  true  Israelites  to  send  their  children  to 
Jewish  teachers,  who  have  the  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes, 
and  who  execute  the  sacred  trust  of  rearing  the  young  in  the 
way  they  should  go  in  a  manner  best  calculated  to  effect  this 
most  desirable  object.  These  should  be  aided  by  the  parents 
in  maintaining  a  wholesome,  though  mild  discipline  over  the 
children,  and  they  should  omit  no  opportunity  to  make  religion 
better  understood,  more  loved,  and  more  sincerely  followed, 
than  unfortunately  it  has  been  in  many  places  in  our  own  days. 
Believe  me  one  thing,  brethren !  that  the  falling  off  which  we 
all  have  to  deplore  in  religious  observances,  is  the  offspring  of 
ignorance  and  want  of  education.  In  former  years  there  pre- 
vailed an  error  of  teaching  abstruse  points  of  legal  knowledge, 
to  the  exclusion,  to  a  great  extent,  of  pure  scriptural  knowledge. 
Sciences  were  then  inaccessible  to  our  oppressed  people,  and 
hence  many  wasted  their  powerful  intellect,  which  being  re- 
pressed was  nevertheless  not  extinguished,  in  detecting  points  of 
difference  and  matters  of  disputation  in  the  law,  which  now 
have  but  little  value  in  the  changed  aspect  of  things  which  of 
late  years  has  taken  place.  Nevertheless  was  there  a  great 
devotion  to  religion,  and  the  strictest  observance  of  even  the 
minutest  things  was  the  crowning  glory  of  those  days.  But 
when  the  access  to  sciences  was  opened  to  us,  a  new  spirit  was 
suddenly  called  into  action.  Scripture  was  more  sought  after, 
and  the  ancient  disputations  and  comments  greatly  neglected, 
much  more  so  indeed  than  they  should  have  been,  for  with  all 
their  faults  they  contain  matters  of  profound  wisdom  and  deep 
reflection. — Yet  even  this  modified  study  of  our  religion  has  not 


228  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

in  many  places  maintained  its  ground,  and  has  there,  alas ! 
receded  to  a  point  of  perfect  inattention  to  so  holy  a  pursuit. 
In  several  towns  there  is  not  even  a  single  school  where  the 
Scriptures  are  expounded  and  the  holy  language  of  our  ances- 
tors is  taught ;  so  that  some,  judging  from  appearance  and  a 
fancied  necessity,  have  thought  it  expedient  to  advise  to  banish 
the  latter  as  useless  from  our  form  of  worship.  And  now  we 
see  the  effects  of  this  deterioration,  in  the  ignorance,  unpardon- 
able ignorance,  of  many  in  the  essential  points  of  their  religion; 
in  their  unacquaintance  \\ith  the  Hebrew  tongue;  in  their 
omission  of  the  observance  demanded  of  them,  and  in  the 
neglect,  I  almost  might  say  exclusion,  of  the  teachers  of  our 
blessed  faith.  It  is  true  that  there  are  but  few  places  where 
there  is  not  a  minister  appointed  to  do  the  necessary  offices  of 
religion,  and  what  is  more,  public  worship  is  generally  well 
supported,  if  even  tho  number  of  attendan  s  is  not  very  large; 
but  I  speak  of  a  class  c  f  teachers  of  religion,  not  merely  public 
servants,  who  should  have  the  formation  of  the  mind  of  our 
children  specially  delegated  to  them,  and  give  instruction  in 
the  doctrines  and  principles  of  the  law  which  has  descended  to 
us  from  our  ancestors.  -And  it  is  such  as  these  who  are  not 
cared  for,  not  wanted !  whilst  parents  themselves  are  loo  busy 
to  be  themselves  the  teachers  of  their  children  !  It  is  a  crying 
evil,  a  sin  of  no  small  magnitude. — A  man  would  be  stigmatized 
as  illiberal  and  unenlightened  who  would  refuse  sending  his 
child  to  any  school,  and  merely  give  him  an  occasional  Jesson 
at  home  in  the  rudiments  of  reading  and  writing;  and  in  truth 
he  would  be  guilty  of  a  great  wrong,  by  leaving  him  behind  the 
march  of  improvement.  And  so  well  is  this  subject  generally 
admitted,  that  but  few  indeed  can  be  ibi:nd  who  g  ve  not  some 
schooling  to  their  children,  and  ma^y  spend  large  and  liberal 
sums  to  teach  them  whatever  is  ornamental  ai  d  useful,  and  not 
unfrequently  give  extravagant  prices  for  mere  u  eless  accom- 
plishments, that  they  may  not  be  a  whit  behind  the  spirit  of  the 
age.  And  yet  these  very  parents  find  it  impossible  to  pay  for 
the  religious  education  of  their  childr  ;n  !  as  though  every  thing 
should  be  taught  but  the  word  of  the  Lo  'd  !  Is  it  then  sur- 
prising that  we  are  retrograding  in  religious  knowledge  1  that 
the  gentiles  who  formerly  could  lear.i  from  us  are  generally 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  229 

better  acquainted  with  Scriptures  than  we  are '(  They,  we  will 
state  it  to  their  credit,  are  respectful  to  their  public  teachers, 
they  endeavour  to  seek  for  information  in  various  ways  from 
them,  and  listen  to  their  reproof  with  becoming  deference.  This 
was  formerly  also  the  case  with  us,  when  the  schools  of  our 
teachers  were  filled  with  listeners,  when  they  might  reprove  and 
admonish,  and  the  community  would  obey  their  instruction. 
Perhaps  you  may  say,  that  in  those  times  there  was  too  much 
power  in  the  hands  of  these  men ;  admitted  ;  but  what  can  you 
say  in  defence  of  a  state  of  things  where  the  opposite  fault  is 
so  prevalent  as  not  to  admit  of  any  concealment  from  the  eyes 
of  our  opponents  ?  Let  us  be  candid  ;  the  evil  has  reached  an 
alarming  height,  and  it  is  high  time  that  a  remedy  were  applied. 
As  it  is  however  now  among  us,  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a 
thorough  change  are  truly  great  and  appalling;  for  whilst  there 
are  not  more  union  and  harmony  to  effect  a  general  good,  and 
whilst  the  uninformed  obtrude  their  ideas  of  reformation,  or 
whilst  the  unworthy  and  irreligious  assume  the  place  of  teachers, 
nothinar  can  be  done.  But  the  change  must  commence  with 

o  o 

the  individual  members  of  Israel  themselves.  They  must  learn, 
in  the  first  place,  to  disregard  the  opinions  of  those  who  differ 
from  us  in  their  rule  of  faith;  secondly,  they  should  admit  no 
one  to  teach  who  is  not  qualified  by  education  and  a  thorough 
moral  and  religious  conduct  for  the  task  he  assumes ;  thirdly, 
whenever  a  teacher  is  appointed  he  should  receive  the  coun- 
tenance of  all  the  community  where  he  lives,  and  whilst  he  is 
in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  for  which  he  has  been  appointed, 
let  him  not  b'e  unduly  interfered  with  or  checked  by  the  tem- 
poral rulers  of  the  Synagogue ;  fourthly,  let  no  one  attempt  to 
imitate  the  example  of  the  vainglorious  who  speak  of  reforming 
our  worship,  or,  in  other  words,  of  forcing  their  own  crude 
notions  upon  us  instead  of  those  opinions  we  have  always 
cherished ;  and  lastly,  if  no  competent  teachers  can  be  obtained 
at  the  present  moment,  let  such  inducements  be  held  out  that 
youths  whom  the  Lord  has  endowed  with  wisdom  will  seek  to 
qualify  themselves  for  teachers  in  our  academies,  and  to  be- 
come lecturers  and  preachers  of  the  Word  in  our  Synagogues. 
But  it  need  not  be  expected  that  success  can  attend  the  produc- 
tion of  sound  capable  teachers,  whilst  we  are  ruled,  as  in  many 
VOL.  HI. — 20 


230  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

countries,  by  the  direct  interference  of  the  gentiles,  or  as  in 
others,  by  our  yielding  constantly  to  what  is  termed  public 
opinion  in  withholding  our  children  from  proper  Jewish  schools; 
whilst  incompetent  or  unworthy  persons  are  elevated  to  the 
same  responsible  rank  ;  whilst  our  teachers,  when  appointed, 
receive  not  the  countenance,  respect  and  support  of  the  com- 
munity, and  whilst  their  energies  are  cramped  by  the  interfer- 
ence of  the  ignorant  and  ungodly,  who  decry  their  honest  efforts, 
and  strive  to  bring  confusion  in  our  midst  by  the  introduction 
of  pretended  reforms. — The  plan  just  hinted  at  may  not  be 
attainable  in  a  few  years ;  there  are  doubtlessly  some  difficul- 
ties in  the  way ;  but  still  impracticable  it  is  not.  We  have 
gone  astray  from  our  former  devotion  to  the  law ;  why  should 
it  be  impossible  to  bring  us  back  ? — You  may  perhaps  say, 
there  are  no  such  persons  among  us  who  are  fit  to  follow  out 
the  details !  This  is  only  true  in  part.  The  whole  plan  can 
only  be  carried  out  into  practice  by  slow  degrees,  particularly 
that  of  freeing  ourselves  from  gentile  influence ;  but  still  there 
are  many  wherever  Israelites  dwell  who  can  do  a  great  deal  to 
forward  the  blessed  work.  Let  the  attempt  be  made  by  a 
united  effort,  and  some  success  will  at  once  attend  it.  And 
have  we  not  seen  in  this  very  place  an  initiatory  course  of 
instruction  imparted  for  several  years  past  with  a  success 
which  many  at  one  time  despaired  of?  And  why  should  not  a 
general  Jewish  education  succeed  just  as  well,  if  the  same 
spirit  were  displayed  which  forwarded  the  pious  plan  just  men- 
tioned? And  of  one  thing  be  assured,  that  as  soon  as  there  is 
a  demand  for  teachers,  they  will  be  forthcoming';  for  the  time 
never  yet  was  that  the  law  of  our  God  had  not  its  devoted 
followers,  who  meditated  therein  day  and  night,  and  from 
whose  lips  flowed  wisdom  and  instruction. 

My  advice  is,  therefore,  brethren !  that  schools  for  general 
education  under  Jewish  superintendence  should  be  established 
forthwith  in  every  place  where  they  are  not,  and  be  reformed 
and  put  upon  a  permanent  footing  where  they  are  already  in 
existence.  The  sciences  can  well  be  blended  with  the  study  of 
religion ;  and  do  not  imagine  that  the  teaching  of  the  former 
will  be  hurtful  to  the  latter,  or  that  the  careful  study  of  the 
Bible  and  commentators  will  retard  the  progress  in  science. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  231 

They  who  tell  you  the  opposite  are  either  not  acquainted  with 
general  knowledge  or  ignorant  of  the  language  and  tendency  of 
Scripture ;  or  they  confound  what  is  unessential  or  merely  an 
abuse  with  the  fundamental  doctrines  and  duties  which  have 
been  handed  down  to  us. — It  is  not  enough  to  let  your  children 
have  an  occasional  glimpse  as  it  were  at  God's  word,  and  then 
to  leave  them  to  draw  their  own  conclusion ;  it  is  not  enough 
that  they  have  once  in  a  while  a  lesson  in  Hebrew  or  religious 
books ;  but  they  should  be  constantly  under  such  guidance  that 
they  may  daily  learn  more  familiarly  our  own  national  speech, 
and  drink  in,  literally,  the  proper  understanding  of  the  words 
of  the  living  God.  For  then  will  piety  entwine  itself  with  their 
soul,  and  will  become  a  part  of  their  very  nature.  It  will  then 
not  be  necessary  for  you  to  threaten  punishment  for  disobedience 
to  their  duties;  for  they  will  practise  cheerfully  what  their  in- 
telligent teacher  impresses  on  their  mind,  provided  you  do  not 
counteract  at  home,  by  injudicious  levity  on  sacred  subjects,  a 
direct  contradiction  of  what  is  taught  at  school,  or  an  exhibition 
of  irreligious  conduct,  the  impression  which  is  produced  by  him 
you  have  chosen  as  their  moral  guide. — If  you  have  capacity, 
introduce  frequently  religious  conversation ;  explain  a  history 
of  the  Scriptures,  expatiate  on  the  beauty  of  a  commandment ; 
have  the  Bible  read,  and  whenever  the  Hebrew  is  taught  let  the 
children  render  for  you  a  passage  into  the  vernacular  language. 
For  there  is  nothing  so  effectual  in  filling  the  mind  with  willing 
obedience,  as  a  thorough  understanding  of  our  duties ;  and 
whence  could  we  obtain  this  in  greater  perfection  than  from 
the  words  of  the  Bible  themselves?  And  thus  also  says  our 
text :  "  And  ye  shall  teach  them  to  your  children,  speaking  of 
them,  when  thou  sittest  in  the  house  and  when  thou  walkest  by 
the  way,  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up."  In 
the  first  place  permit  the  children  to  obtain  correct  information 
by  such  agents  and  means  as  have  been  pointed  out  to  you. 
Then  let  your  conversation  revert  to  the  same  when  you  are  at 
home  in  the  bosom  of  your  family ;  let  prayers  and  devotional 
exercises  be  a  portion  of  your  domestic  economy ;  thank  the 
Creator  for  the  gifts  of  life,  the  food  and  the  law,  for  bodily 
and  spiritual  blessings  which  have  been  bestowed  on  you ;  let 
them  see  that  you  are  willing  to  acknowledge  your  dependence 


232  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION. 

on  the  Lord,  and  anxious  to  derive  information  from  his  word, 
and  they  will  be  stimulated  to  acquire  likewise  a  holy  feeling 
and  to  grow  in  grace  and  piety.  When  you  are  abroad  with 
them  draw  their  attention  to  the  beauty  of  the  objects  which 
everywhere  present  themselves,  and  tell  them  that  the  whole 
is  the  work  of  the  One  great  universal  Power  whom  you  wor- 
ship. Tell  them  also  of  the  goodness  He  manifested  in  chajig- 
ing  for  a  time  the  course  of  nature  to  effect  the  redemption  of 
Israel  from  bondage,  and  the  announcement  of  the  law  from 
Sinai.  When  the  time  for  repose  draws  near,  let  them  pray 
and  repeat  the  confession  of  our  faith,  and  do  yourselves  parti- 
cipate in  their  devotion.  Let  the  same  be  the  case  in  the 
morning,  when  you  and  they  are  awakened  to  a  renewal  of 
God's  favour  by  being  again  permitted  to  enjoy  his  blessings 
for  another  day.  In  this  manner  will  religion  become  natural 
to  them,  and  will  be  the  ruling  principle  of  all  their  actions,  at 
least  you  have  according  to  the  law  laid  the  best  foundation  for 
a  virtuous  and  happy  life. — In  making  religion,  however,  the 
rule  and  conversation  of  the  household,  you  are  not  told  to  ex- 
clude rational  converse  on  other  subjects ;  but  merely  to  let  the 
concerns  of  the  immortal  spirit  have  a  portion  of  your  thoughts 
and  speech  no  less  than  the  affairs  of  a  merely  physical  kind. 
Nor  is  innocent  recreation  to  be  excluded ;  on  the  contrary, 
religion  should  impart  cheerfulness,  and  play  and  amusement  in 
moderation  are  by  no  means  incompatible  with  it. 

In  short,  hold  yourselves  in  this  as  well  as  in  other  matters 
close  to  scriptural  instruction,  and  you  cannot  go  astray ;  and 
the  wise  king  of  Israel,  in  enforcing  a  strict  observance  of  the 
law,  told  us  also  there  is  a  time  for  all  things.  Do  this,  brethren 
and  friends !  in  the  spirit  of  true  piety,  and  devote  not  all  your 
leisure  to  amusement,  but  spend  occasionally  an  hour  for  the 
moral  progress  of  your  offspring.  The  task  may  at  first  be 
rather  awkward  for  you ;  but  practice  will  render  you  more 
ready,  and  in  a  little  while  you  will  become  excellent  instruc- 
tors, and  you  will  be  rewarded  by  the  greater  docility  and  more 
prompt  obedience  of  your  children ;  and  know  that  by  no  means 
whatever  can  you  fit  them  better  to  become  favourites  of  God 
and  beloved  of  man,  than  by  rendering  them  faithful  Israelites 
and  strict  adherents  of  the  law  of  Moses. — If  thus  you  consti- 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  233 

tute  your  fireside  a  school  of  piety,  and  your  home  the  sanc- 
tuary of  religion  :  well  may  then  the  name  of  the  Almighty* 
appear  on  the  door-posts  of  your  house  and  of  your  gates,  as 
indicative  that  there  dwell  they  who  in  this  remote  generation, 
and  in  this  land  so  far  distant  from  Palestine,  forget  not  the  an- 
cestral custom,  uphold  the  ancestral  law,  and  look  forward  to 
a  return  unto  the  now  waste  hills  of  the  once  lovely  land,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  son  of  David,  whom  the  Lord  will  send  to 
spread  over  the  whole  earth  peace,  freedom,  piety,  and  devo- 
tion to  the  Almighty's  will,  even  as  He  ordained  in  the  law 
which  He  of  old  proclaimed  from  the  mountain  of  Horeb  to  the 
adoring  children  of  his  servants  whom  He  had  redeemed  to  be 
his  people  for  ever. 

O  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  display  thy  won- 
drous power  over  us,  and  incline  our  heart  to  follow  thy  com- 
mandments ;  and  support  us  in  our  endeavours  to  obey  Thee, 
and  let  not  the  confusion,  and  anxiety,  and  cares  of  life  lead  us 
astray  from  thy  righteous  path.  Preserve  us  by  thy  grace,  so 
that  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  may  see  that  thy  name  is 
called  over  us,  and  fear  to  injure  us,  thy  heritage.  Amen. 


Kislev  16th  ) 
Dec.  llth     I 


NOTE.  —  The  foregoing  three  lectures  on  "Religious  Education"  by  no 
means  present  this  important  matter  in  so  complete  a  light  as  I  might 
wish  ;  but  I  thought  it  best  to  close  the  subject  for  the  present  ;  yet  I  pro- 
mise myself,  if  the  views  here  offered  meet  with  favour,  to  enlarge  upon 
them  at  a  future  day.  » 

*  The  Mezuzah. 
20* 


ADDRESS, 

DELIVERED  AT 

THE  SYNAGOGUE  MIKVEH  ISRAEL, 

IN   BEHALF   OF 

THE  FEMALE  HEBREW  BENEVOLENT  SOCIETY 

OF    PHILADELPHIA, 
ON  SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER  12.  1837— HESHVAN  14,  5598. 


PRAYER. 

O  LORD  of  heaven  and  earth,  whom  neither  the  heights  of 
heaven  nor  the  depths  of  the  abyss  can  contain,  who  art 
without  beginning  and  without  ending,  we  come  before  Thee 
to  invoke  thy  blessing  upon  our  endeavours  to  serve  Thee,  and 
on  our  striving  to  fulfil  the  behests  of  thy  will.  Strengthen  our 
resolve  that  we  may  resist  temptation,  and  guide  our  steps  that 
we  be  not  lured  away  upon  the  destructive  road  of  sin.  Cause 
good  to  result  from  our  charity,  and  bless  every  trifle  given  in 
thy  name,  that  it  bear  fruit  a  thousand-fold,  and  suffice  for  the 
needy  that  he  may  never  more -require  the  assistance  of  flesh  and 
blood.  Grant  prosperity  to  the  labour  of  each  individual,  that 
every  man  may  receive  his  support  immediately  from  thy  liberal 
hand.  Bestow  thy  blessing  upon  this  land  and  its  inhabitants 
amongst  the  lands  that  are  blessed  of  thee,  and  fill  the  granaries 
with  corn  and  the  fields  with  abundant  increase,  so  that  the 
small  means  of  the  poor  may  be  enough  for  their  support.  Above 
all  teach  us  humility;  so  that  if  blessed  with  prosperity  we  may 
not  wax  proud  and  incur  thy  wrath  by  a  neglect  of  thy  holy 
precepts ;  and  that  if  punished  we  may  bend  our  head  in  meek 
submission  to  thy  just  decrees. — Let  it  be  further  thy  will  to 


MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY.  235 

grant  that  our  prayer  may  ascend  into  thy  presence,  and 
speedily  light  up  the  lamp  of  the  son  of  Jesse  thy  servant,  and 
let  all  the  world  see  thy  glory,  when  Thou  returnest  to  Zion  the 
chosen  dwelling  of  thy  name,  there  to  let  thy  presence  abide 
among  us  for  ever.  Pour  also  the  spirit  of  thy  wisdom  over  us 
and  all  the  children  of  thy  creation ;  so  that  all  may  devote 
their  hearts  to  serve  Thee  who  alone  art  God  and  King.  Amen. 


ADDRESS. 

MOTIVES    OF    CHARITY. 

r  i  •. 
FRIENDS  AND  ISRAELITES! 

The  benevolent  daughters  of  our  people  composing  the  Fe- 
male Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  of  Philadelphia  have  deputed 
me  again  to  lay  before  you  a  brief  account  of  their  steward- 
ship of  the  funds  entrusted  to  their  care.  And  well  it  was  that 
your  liberality  gave  them  more  extended  means  in  the  year 
that  has  just  elapsed  and  been  mixed  up  with  the  resistless 
tide  of  eternity,  with  the  years  that  have  been  and  are  passed 
away  for  ever.  For,  sorrow,  poverty  and  anguish  have  not 
been  absent,  and  every  day  almost  some  hapless  stranger,  some 
lone  woman,  has  presented  claims  which  could  not  be  over- 
looked, and  which  have  been  supplied  as  far  as  the  funds  of 
our  sisters  have  allowed  and  as  actual  necessity  required.  Yes, 
persons  to  whom  the  tongue  of  this  land  is  unknown  have  re- 
sorted hither  in  search  of  a  happier  home  than  their  own  native 
land  afforded,  and  when  arrived  found  themselves  overwhelmed 
by  dire  and  oppressive  want ;  what  now  would  have  been  their 
situation  if  not  some  kind  helping  hand,  under  Providence,  had 
stepped  forward  to  supply  the  couch  for  sickness,  the  fireside 
for  refreshing  heat,  the  bread  for  the  infants,  and  the  shelter  of 
the  friendly  roof  for  the  aged  and  infirm  ?  Acts  of  this  nature 


236  MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY. 

have  been  accomplished  in  the  last  year,  by  the  judicious  appli- 
cation of  the  small  means,  small  for  so  extensive  a  use,  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  society ;  and  thus  blessings  have  been 
scattered,  joys  diffused,  and  sorrows  lightened  ;  and  the  friend- 
less stranger,  friendless  as  she  thought  herself  far  from  her  native 
soil,  has  found  friends  and  protectors  in  the  kind  daughters  of 
Israel  who,  true  to  the  characteristics  of  their  race,  are  re- 
tiringly unostentatious,  merciful  in  their  sympathies  to  the  suf- 
ferings of  their  fellow-mortals,  and  kindly  intent  upon  bestowing 
the  fruits  of  beneficence  to  all  who  need.  It  is  not  as  the  eulo- 
gist of  the  society  and  their  doings  that  I  say  this,  but  merely 
because  last  year*  I  was  called  upon  to  appeal  to  your  gene- 
rosity in  support  of  their  treasury,  which  appeal  was  so  liberally 
answered,  that  it  appears  to  be  obligatory  upon  me  to  state 
briefly  that  the  funds  collected  have  been  so  applied  as  the 
donors  had  a  right  to  expect,  and  thereby  to  foster  the  virtuous 
resolution  of  again  enabling  our  sisters  to  keep  up  to  its  full 
measure  the  system  of  charity  upon  which  they  have  been 
hitherto  acting.  And  truly  there  is  need  of  this  bounty  !  For 
the  transactions  of  this  and  other  charitable  institutions,  here  as 
well  as  in  neighbouring  cities,  amply  prove,  that  with  increased 
means  the  annual  surplus  has  not  increased  in  equal  propor- 
tions ;  for  the  poor  of  other  countries,  chiefly  from  the  over- 
populated  districts  of  Europe,  annually  crowd  hither  in  increased 
numbers  to  obtain  under  the  protection  of  equal  laws  and  the 
untrammeled  exercise  of  their  industry  a  more  extended  reward 
for  their  labours  than  can  be  procured  in  their  native  land.  Na- 
turally enough,  among  the  many  of  small  means,  persons  in  the 
pinching  state  of  indigence  may  be  induced  to  sacrifice  their 
little,  their  all,  in  order  to  reach  this  land,  perhaps  this  very- 
city,  and  no  sooner  are  they  arrived,  than  they  feel  that  even 
here  a  person  must  have,  to  use  the  language  of  the  people,  a 
start  in  life;  or  perhaps  sickness  or  other  afflictions  may  at 
once  arrest  their  labouring  hand  upon  their  first  coming  here: 
shall  people  like  these  be  compelled  to  hold  out  their  hands  to 
ask  for  alms  from  strangers  to  their  faith  ?  shall  they  be  com- 
pelled to  resort  to  the  poor-house,  that  refuge  for  the  vicious 

*  See  Discourses,  vol.  ii.  pp.  269 — 277. 


MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY.  337 

and  improvident  no  less  than  the  honest  poor  1  or  shall  they  be 
left  in  want  of  every  thing  at  times  perhaps  when  the  female 
has  to  bear  the  pangs  of  maternity,  or  when  the  aged  sire  is  un- 
able to  raise  his  drooping  head,  sinking  fast  into  the  grave  of 
his  forefathers,  from  his  bed  of  sickness?  Or  shall  they  be  told 
to  toil  away,  like  the  cruel  Pharaoh  said  to  our  oppressed  an- 
cestors :  "  Go  ye  now  and  toil,  and  straw  shall  not  be  given 
you?"  Shall  they  be  left  in  such  distress  that  the  fear  of 
starvation  must  compel  them  to  transgress  the  law  of  our 
Maker  and  Redeemer  ?  Surely  this  cannot  be,  this  is  not  the 
wish  of  one  of  you,  my  honoured  hearers !  and  I  am  not  far 
wrong  in  maintaining  that  many  if  not  all  would  divide  their 
last  loaf  in  order  to  obviate  such  extreme  cases  of  hardships. 
But  such  a  demand  is  not  made.  God  has  helped  us,  we 
have  means,  we  have  more  than  we  absolutely  need  for  our- 
selves ;  and  even  if  the  last  year  has  deprived  us  of  a  part  of 
our  wealth,  still  enough  has  been  left  to  compel  us  to  confess  in 
honest  truth,  that  though  less  wealthy,  we  have  yet  means  suf- 
ficient to  assist,  even  if  it  be  with  a  mere  trifle,  those  less 
favoured  than  ourselves.  Let  us  give  this  trifle,  let  us  bestow 
it  this  day  on  the  ladies'  society,  the  members  of  which  are  our 
security  that  the  amount  collected  will  be  distributed  so  as  to  be 
made  subservient  to  promote  the  greatest  amount  of  good  con- 
sistent with  their  rules,  and  we  may  be  assured  that,  no  matter 
to  whom  given,  great  benefit  will  be  the  result ;  for  experience 
has  taught  us,  that  the  recipients  of  relief  from  our  various 
benevolent  associations  have  often,  I  may  almost  say,  generally, 
been  enabled  ultimately  to  obtain  a  livelihood  by  their  own 
industry,  perhaps  through  the  very  charity  originally  bestowed 
by  these  blessed  treasuries,  yes,  thrice  blessed  treasuries  of  the 
Lord !  and  when  they  obtained  a  moderate  competency  many 
have  reimbursed  the  amount  obtained,  and  joined  themselves  in 
turn  to  us  in  order  to  propagate  the  good  work  themselves,  and 
to  be  bestowers  in  place  of  receivers  of  benevolence.  And  herein 
lies  the  chief  characteristic  difference  between  the  charity  of  an 
individual  and  a  society.  If  an  individual  gives,  it  is  almost 
universally  an  absolute  gift,  and  the  receiver  is  placed  under 
obligation  to  the  donor  for  as  much  as  is  given,  and  even  if  he 
should  advance  in  life,  he  can  hardly  insult  his  benefactor  by 


238  MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY. 

offering  him  back  the  small  amount  received ;  and  consequently 
a  species  of  superiority  on  the  one,  and  dependence  on  the  other 
hand  is  thus  maintained,  extremely  injurious  at  times  to  the 
existence  of  friendship  between  persons  who  might  otherwise 
have  been  friends.  But  if  a  society  is  the  almoner,  no  feeling 
of  dependence  on  individuals  is  engendered,  the  idea  of  an  irre- 
deemable obligation  can  find  no  place  in  the  mind  of  the  poor, 
and  if  he  is  afterwards  blessed  and  sees  that  he  now  can  return 
what  was  given  him  in  the  hour  of  his  need,  there  is  a  ready 
opportunity  of  his  doing  so,  for  the  treasury  of  the  association 
will  always  gladly  receive  back  what  it  dispensed ;  and  there-, 
fore  although  the  debt  of  gratitude  is  not  cancelled,  still  it 
presses  not  down  the  individual  independence,  which,  if  pro- 
perly fostered,  is  the  basis  of  every  honourable  character.  I  need 
not  cite  instances  where  charity  thus  given  was  returned ;  nor 
if  even  this  did  not  take  place,  where  the  bounty  once  bestowed 
produced  a  permanent  relief;  for  your  experience  will  supply 
such  instances.  And  surely  the  idea  that  with  a  small  gift  you 
may  be  the  means  of  raising  a  fellow-being  from  absolute  want 
to  comparative  ease  and  affluence ;  the  idea  of  saying  by  timely 
assistance  a  despairing  brother  from  the  depth  of  temptation, 
crime,  and  misery :  must  be  enough  to  induce  all  of  you  to 
give  "  each  according  to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  which  He 
has  given  you." 

Another  advantage  resulting  from  labours  of  a  society  is,  that 
charity  can  be  and  is  given  with  more  discrimination  ;  since  the 
managers  of  a  public  charity  are  bound  by  every  consideration 
to  guard  against  imposition  by  persons  feigning  necessity  where 
none  exists ;  whereas  individuals,  however  anxious  to  distin- 
guish, can  seldom  spare  the  time  to  make  the  necessary  inves- 
tigation. It  may  perhaps  be  urged,  that  the  certainty  almost 
of  obtaining  relief  may  embolden  many  to  lay  their  situation 
open  and  demand  relief,  who  perhaps  by  their  own  application 
and  perseverance  might  have  been  able  to  help  themselves. 
This  is  certainly  often  the  case,  and  persons  have  been  known 
•who  thus  in  a  measure  fraudulently  obtained  assistance ;  but 
the  number  so  transgressing  against  the  commandment  implied 
in  the  annunciation,  "  By  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shall  thou  eat 
thy  bread,"  bears  no  proportion  to  those  who  have  honestly 


MOTIVES  OF  CHARITV.  239 

a  claim  upon  our  sympathy,  and  truly  it  is  better  that  now  and 
then  our  managers  should  bestow  largesses  where  none  are 
properly  required,  than  that  the  really  deserving  should  suffer 
from  a  too  cautious  distribution.  It  must  at  the  same  time  be 
observed  that  a  hesitancy  in  replying  to  questions  when  an 
applicant  is  examined,  does  not  always  demonstrate  unworthi- 
ness,  or  a  consciousness  that  direct  replies  would  debar  him 
from  relief;  on  the  contrary,  it  may  proceed  from  a  sense  of 
shame,  that  he  has  been  brought  by  reverses  to  the  necessity  of 
asking  the  aid  of  man.  For  there  are  many  who  in  their  own 
homes  have  always  maintained  a  character  unsullied  by  aught 
of  reproach,  who  have  perhaps  themselves  been  of  those  who 
feed  the  hungry  and  clothe  the  naked.  But  lo  !  in  the  hour  of 
night  the  wind  of  Heaven  carries  up  the  clouds  from  the  dis- 
tant ocean,  with  sulphurous  gases  the  air  is  filled,  mass  of  va- 
pour piles  itself  on  mass,  and  with  heavy  portents  rests  the 
atmosphere's  weight  upon  every  man's  breast.  Hark  !  yonder 
sound  is  the  roll  of  the  distant  thunder  !  See  yon  sudden  flash  ! 
it  is  the  lightning's  vivid  glare  !  all  nature  seems  now  convulsed 
and  sound  and  fire  and  the  torrent  are  commingled,  and  man 
hastily  forsakes  his  pillow,  terrified  at  the  awful  display  of  his 
Creator's  mighty  power  !  Now  the  storm  is  at  its  height !  and 
the  fierce  flame  seizes  hold  of  man's  labour,  and  soon  blazes  up 
in  the  gloom  of  the  terrific  night.  Quick  in  succession  the 
bucket  is  plied  from  hand  to  hand  of  compassionate  neighbours, 
high  in  streams  issues  out  the  volume  sent  forth  by  the  aiding 
engine ;  but  vain  is  all  the  toil,  useless  is  the  friendly  aid,  rafter 
after  rafter  tumbles  into  the  fiery  pool,  walls  fall  in,  beams  are 
crushed,  and  all  fly  aghast  from  the  threatening  ruins !  Yet 
none  of  those  dear  to  his  heart*  are  lost,  and  the  father  leaves 
his  devastated  home  for  a  foreign  clime,  bereft  of  all  the  riches 
he  once  possessed,  and  claims  peradventure  your  aid  to  obtain 
bread  for  his  helpless  little  ones.  Is  he  deceiving  you,  because 
in  a  strange  land  the  blush  of  shame  mantles  on  his  cheek 
when  he  hesitatingly  recounts  the  tale  of  his  wo  ?  Is  his  wife 
to  be  blamed,  if  she  is  unwilling  to  let  strangers  know  the 
full  extent  of  evil  which  the  Lord  has  in  his  judgment  de- 

*  Partly  borrowed  from  Schiller's  "  Lied  von  der  Glocke." 


240  MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY. 

creed  unto  her  ?  For  although  compassion  is  raised  in  the 
mind  of  the  benevolent  by  a  knowledge  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  unfortunate :  still  the  sensitive  delicacy  of  many  who  are 
oppressed  by  poverty  shrinks  from  disclosing  the  tithe  of 
what  they  have  to  endure.  Those  therefore  who  really  wish 
to  be  a  blessing  to  their  species,  those  whom  the  Lord  has 
blessed  with  means  to  relieve  the  wo  they  see,  should  not  wait 
till  the  sufferers  are  knocking  at  their  gates ;  but  should  of 
their  own  accord  seek  out  the  modest  inobtrusive  indigent 
whose  lips  are  sealed  by  shame  and  delicacy  from  laying  their 
sufferings  open  to  public  gaze.  And  if  they  are  unwilling  to  be 
such  agents  of  beneficence  in  their  own  persons ;  if  they  like 
not  to  enter  the  abode  of  wretched  indigence  and  to  bestow 
with  their  own  hands  a  part  of  their  superfluities ;  or  if  age  or 
sickness  or  unavoidable  occupations  prevent  them  from  being 
angels  of  mercy  :  let  them  then  give  unto  those,  who,  like  our 
society  here  present,  will  gladly  assume  the  task,  and  will  faith- 
fully and  impartially  administer  relief  to  all  who  need,  and  who 
require  not  abject  humiliation  in  order  to  move  their  pity,  and 
who  never  will,  never  can,  because  they  never  should,  send  a 
distressed  sister  unheeded  from  their  doors,  since  they  have 
voluntarily  bound  themselves  to  spread  consolation,  sustenance 
and  contentment  among  the  needy  according  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  their  disposable  means. — It  need  not  be  urged  upon 
you  who  are  at  ease  and  in  affluence  how  lovely  it  is  in  all  to 
feel  for  those  who  are  afflicted ;  for  there  are  but  few  indeed 
who  have  not  felt  an  emotion  of  tranquillity  and  satisfaction 
with  themselves  when  they  parted  with  what  made  them  not 
poorer,  and  lighted  up  the  smile  of  gratitude  in  the  countenance 
of  the  persons  they  benefited  with  their  charity ;  and  all  must 
have  experienced  how  sweet  a  reward  was  the  "  God  bless 
you"  coming  from  a  heart  overflowing  with  gratitude.  Yes  ! 
charity  blesses  the  giver  as  much  as  the  receiver ;  for  whilst  the 
one  is  relieved  of  a  load  of  care,  the  other  thereby  purchases 
himself  a  better  heart,  he  conquers  the  disposition  to  retain 
worldly  goods  which  cannot  benefit  him,  and  acquires  the 
good  will  of  his  heavenly  Father.  For  what  says  the  prophet 
(Isaiah  Iviii.  6-9)  ? 


MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY.  241 

-inn  yen  nirnnn  nns  imroN  arc  nr 
:  iprun  HDID  S:n  D'jran  D^IVI  nS:n  HDIO 
»D  no  N'nn  DHTID  o»j;n  *]orrS  DjnS  015 
w  :  oSynn  a6  "peaoi  worn  any  nann 
"|Sm  nosn  mno  "jro-ian 
'm  anpn  rx 

:  'c-'i  n":  n 


"  Is  not  this  rather  the  fast  which  I  choose,  to  dissolve  the  bands  of  wicked- 
ness ;  to  loosen  the  oppressive  burdens  ;  and  to  let  the  oppressed  go  free  ;  and 
that  ye  should  break  asunder  every  yoke  ]  Is  it  not  to  distribute  thy  bread 
to  the  hungry?  and  to  bring  the  miserably  afflicted  poor  into  thy  house? 
when  thou  seest  the  naked  that  thou  clothe  him,  and  that  thou  hide  not  thy- 
self from  thy  own  flesh  1  Then  shall  thy  light  break  forth  like  the  morning; 
and  thy  health  shall  spring  forth  speedily  ;  and  thy  righteousness  shall  go 
before  thee  ;  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  receive  thee.  Then  shall  thou 
call,  and  the  Lord  will  answer,  thou  shall  cry,  arid  He  will  say,  Lo,  I  am 
here." 

This  is  the  extensive  field  of  universal  benevolence  in  which 
we  are  commanded  to  labour  ;  and  the  harvest  unto  ourselves 
will  be  ample  indeed.  For  we  are  promised  a  boon  far  above 
our  own  acts  ;  we  are  told  that  our  light  shall  spring  forth  as 
the  morning;  yes,  like  to  the  exhausted  mariner  upon  the  sink- 
ing wreck  is  welcome  the  blessed  dawn  that  shows  him  the 
friendly  haven  :  so  shall  in  the  gloom  of  despair  the  divine  light 
illuminate  the  path  of  those  acting  righteously.  And  like  the 
same  mariner's  health  and  streng  h  are  reinvigorated  when  he 
finds  that  safety  is  within  his  reach  :  so  will  virtuous  deeds 
constantly  make  us  progress  onward  when  we  have  escaped 
shipwreck  against  the  rock  of  passions.  And  as  the  seafarer 
rejoices  when  he  casts  his  anchor  in  the  harbour  of  security, 
when  all  perils  are  overcome  :  so  shall  we  rejoice  when  we 
are  received  into  the  embrnce  of  the  divine  Glory,  the  perma- 
nent resting-place  of  the  righteous.  If  our  conduct  deserves 
this,  we  may  indeed  call,  and  the  Lord  will  answer,  and  unto 
the  voice  of  our  entreaty  He  will  surely  grant  us  his  favour. 
We  thus  see  that  witli  our  small  endeavours  we  can  purchase 
ourselves  everlasting  joys  ;  eternal  bliss  by  temporal  sacrifices. 

VOL.  in.  —  21 


242  MOTIVES  OF  CHARITY. 

Let  me  then  again  call  on  you,  brothers  and  sisters,  to  act  up 
to  the  demands  of  our  Father  !  give  according  to  your  means  ! 
right  the  injured !  assist  the  oppressed !  relieve  the  indigent ! 
and  as  God  loves  the  widow,  the  orphan,  and  the  stranger,  to 
give  them  bread  and  garments  :  so  be  you  his  agents  on  earth, 
bid  the  stranger  welcome,  be  parents  to  the  orphan,  and  pro- 
tectors to  the  widow !  so  that  when  you  may  call  in  your  need 
upon  the  Omnipotent,  the  Seer  of  all  secrets,  He  may  mete  out 
to  you  enlargement  and  deliverance,  as  your  virtue  may  deserve 
from  his  unexhaustible  bounty,  and  from  his  mercy  which  never 
faileth. 

Heshvan  5th 
November  7th 


FUNERAL  ADDRESS, 

SPOKEN  OVER  THE  BIER  OF 

THE    REV.    ISAAC    B.    SEIXAS, 

AT  THE  BURIAL-GROUND  IN  NEW  YORK, 
ON  MONDAY  THE  2d  OF  ELUL,  (AUGUST  12th,)  5599. 


BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS! 

On  but  one  occasion  previous  to  this  time  have  I  stood  before 
you ;  it  was  when  the  benevolent  guardians  of  the  poor  and  the 
orphan  sent  for  me  to  appeal  to  you  in  behalf  of  their  charges. 
Little  did  I  then  dream,  that  he  who  on  that  day  stood  by  my 
side  and  administered  in  this  holy  house  would  so  soon  be  called 
from  the  field  of  his  labours  into  the  presence  of  the  omnipotent 
Judge ;  little  did  I  on  that  day  think  that  ere  three  years  had 
passed  away,  I  should  be  summoned  to  address  you  over  the 
bier  on  which  his  mortal  remains  are  laid.  I  almost  shrink 
from  the  task,  and  gladly  would  I  have  been  absent  this  day, 
and  not  tasked  my  feelings  by  officiating  on  this  mournful 
occasion.  But  it  comports  not  with  the  duty  of  a  servant  of 
the  holy  One  to  withhold  his  aid  when  it  is  required  at  the 
grave  of  the  departed,  and  it  is  not  for  him  to  hesitate  when  his 
services  are  demanded.  Still  I  would  earnestly  have  wished 
that  I  had  been  spared  this  trial,  and  that  some  other  one  could 
have  been  selected  to  perform  the  duties  which  are  now  de- 
manded of  me.  For  I  too  must  mourn  with  his  bereaved 
family  over  the  father,  the  husband,  and  friend ;  since,  inde- 
pendently of  the  family  connexion  subsisting  between  us,  my 
first  associations  in  this  country  are  connected  with  our  de- 
ceased brother.  When  I  had  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  Ocean, 
and  had  escaped  by  the  almost  miraculous  interposition  of 


244  FUNERAL  ADDRESS. 

Providence  from  the  fury  of  the  equinoctial  storm  and  the 
raging  of  the  mountain  billows,  and  when  I  had  recovered 
from  a  painful  illness  after  my  arrival  on  these  shores,  and 
when  I  repaired  to  the  house  of  God :  it  was  Mr.  Seixas'  voice 
that  I  first  heard  lifted  up  in  prayer  to  the  throne  of  Grace,  and 
in  his  presence  it  was  that  I  returned  thanks  for  the  undeserved 
mercy  that  had  been  shown  unto  me.  Several  years  after  this 
elapsed  that  I  lived  under  his  ministry,  and  I  will  mention  it  to 
his  credit,  and  it  is  a  fact  with  which  few  of  you  are  acquainted, 
that  he  was  the  first  who  proposed  what  has  since  been  carried 
into  successful  operation,  I  mean  the  gratuitous  instruction  in 
religious  matters  on  certain  days  in  the  week.  It  was  in  the 
Synagogue  at  Richmond  where  he,  feebly  assisted  by  me, 
commenced  teaching  on  the  Sabbath  and  the  first  day  such 
children  and  youths  as  desired  religious  instruction.  If  the 
success  was  not  so  great  as  we  at  one  time  hoped,  it  was 
owing  to  the  great  difficulties  we  had  to  encounter.  But  I  may 
freely  say,  that  the  seed  was  thus  sown,  and  one  at  least  has 
ever  since  had  hopes  of  a  revival  of  religion  among  our  brethren 
in  this  land,  and  he  hopes  to  be  spared  to  see  the  devoutly 
wished-for  consummation  happily  accomplished.  Blessed  time 
indeed  will  that  hour  be,  when  our  youths  and  maidens,  natives 
of  this  soil,  will  be  joyful  servants  of  the  Most  High,  devoted 
followers  of  the  law  of  the  God  of  Jacob  !  And  when  we  see 
the  spread  of  piety,  when  we  see  many  disenthralled  from  the 
bonds  of  selfish  gain :  let  us  pronounce  a  blessing  on  the  name 
of  him  who  was  the  first  to  commence  the  righteous  work 
which  has  since  been  undertaken  with  promise  of  better  suc- 
cess by  the  pious  daughters  of  Israel  in  different  places, -as  is 
known  to  you  all  this  day. 

But  this  is  not  the  only  cause  why  I  should  mourn  with  the 
nearest  friends  and  relatives  of  the  deceased.  It  was  under  him 
that  I  first  learned  the  accepted  mode  of  our  worship,  and  was 
thus  fitted  to  be  summoned  to  officiate  in  the  sanctuary  where 
I  have  these  ten  years  endeavoured,  though  I  fear  unworthily, 
to  proclaim  the  word  of  life,  which  has  been  graciously  be- 
stowed on  a  sinning  world  by  its  merciful  Creator.  Many 
times,  since  that  period,  has  the  hand  of  affliction,  and  the  suf- 
fering of  severe  bodily  illness  been  laid  on  me ;  death  in  various 


FUNERAL  ADDRESS.  245 

forms  has  threatened  me,  once  especially,  when  the  beloved,  the 
only  other  son  of  my  parents  was  removed  from  me :  I  could 
not  then  imagine  that  I  should  be  suffered  to  survive  to  officiate 
on  this  occasion,  and  to  perform  the  last  solemn  rites  of  our  faith 
over  him  whom  I  may  freely  call  my  teacher,  without  a  great 
stretch  of  the  imagination.  But  so  are  the  inscrutable  decrees 
of  Providence;  "  He  woundeth,  and  his  hands  also  heal,"  "  He 
bringeth  down  to  the  grave,  and  raiseth  up  again ;"  and  we 
see  his  omnipotent  power  displayed  no  less  in  his  visitations 
than  in  his  mercies.  Let  us  therefore  improve  the  occasion, 
mournful  and  afflictive  though  it  be,  so  that  the  death  of  this 
servant  in  the  house  of  God  may  redound  to  our  advantage. 
It  was  but,  so  to  say,  yesterday,  that  he  walked  among  us ;  not 
two  weeks  have  elapsed  since  he  accompanied  me  on  my 
return  to  the  city  where  I  have  been  chosen  as  the  messenger 
of  the  congregation;  we  parted  in  the  principal  street  of  this 
extensive  city ;  he  appeared  in  health,  and  surely  no  thought  of 
so  speedy  a  dissolution  could  have  entered  into  his  imagination. 
Yet  scarcely  had  a  week  rolled  on  in  the  ceaseless  course  of 
time,  when  I  heard  tidings  of  his  illness,  and  next  of  his  unex- 
pected and  lamented  death. — Often  and  often  has  this  truth 
been  forced  upon  our  view,  that  the  tenure  of  life  is  uncertain, 
that  we  are  not  assured  whether  to-morrow's  sun  will  shine  for 
us,  or  whether  the  rising  moon,  which  finds  us  in  high  expecta- 
tion of  a  length  of  years,  may  not  send  her  setting  rays  upon 
our  couch  of  death.  Yes,  so  uncertain  is  life;  and  still  our 
plans  reach  as  it  were  into  the  space  of  centuries ;  we  grasp 
the  exisience  of  many  generations,  when  scarcely  one  hour  may 
yet  be  ours.  But  does  it  not  strike  you  that  this  grasping  and 
this  striving  do  not  become  man  destined  to  die?  should  one, 
whose  life  is  so  limited,  extend  his  view  so  far,  and  seek  for 
things  which  he  cannot  reach  ?  Better  indeed  would  it  be  for 
each  and  all,  were  every  man  early  to  reflect  on  the  fleeting 
state  of  his  existence  here,  and  to  fix  his  hopes  on  yonder  haven 
beyond  the  grave— the  grave,  the  embrace  of  which  no  one  can 
escape,  were  he  to  live  a  thousand  years,  instead  of  the  three 
score  and  ten  allotted  to  us.  These  hopes  would  teach  him 
that  he  has  the  power  given  him  of  earning  felicity  by  an 
obedience  to  the  will  of  his  Maker,  who,  in  giving  him  life 

21* 


246  FUNERAL  ADDRESS. 

and  being,  also  bestowed  on  him  a  law  which,  if  obeyed,  will 
lead  to  happiness.  But  there  is  no  time  for  delay  —  next  year  — 
next  month  —  to-morrow  —  nay,  this  day,  this  hour,  may  be  our 
last,  and  the  opportunity  may  thus  be  lost  of  acquiring  felicity, 
if  we  do  not  act  immediately.  It  becomes  therefore  our  duty 
to  act  always  so,  as  though  every  day  were  the  last  of  our  life, 
and  to  endeavour  to  repair  through  repentance  any  evil  which 
we  may  have  committed  ;  in  order  that  we  may  deserve  the 
favour  of  our  Maker  at  any  moment  when  it  may  please  Him 
to  summon  us  to  his  presence.  Obedience  to  the  will  of  God  is 
truly  the  balm  of  life,  the  real  object  of  our  existence  ;  for  its 
riches  no  tyrant  can  ever  take  from  us,  its  wealth  no  misfor- 
tune can  snatch  away,  and  no  canker-worm  can  deface  the 
beauty  of  the  garment  which  it  throws  around  our  spirit;  for 
thus  teaches  the  Bible  : 

vmvo  nxi  NT  o'nStfn  nK  ^DBO  SDH  -m 

:  y-  3"<  nSn  ' 


"  The  end  of  the  matter,  even  all  that  hath  been  heard  is,  fear  God  and 
keep  his  commandments,  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of  man."  Ecc.  xii.  13. 

If  we  are  then  snatched  away  after  a  brief  notice  from  earthly 
life  and  its  enjoyments  :  we  shall  have  the  consolation  in  our 
last  moments,  a  consolation  outweighing  far  all  the  pearls  of 
Persia,  and  the  diamonds  from  the  sands  of  India,  more  sweet 
by  far  than  the  senseless  shout  of  admiring  thousands,  of  having 
accomplished  our  task  on  earth,  and  of  being  able  to  restore 
our  soul  in  its  purity  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  gave  it. 

Let  us  hope  that  he,  for  whom  we  now  mourn,  has  been 
received  into  the  abode  of  the  righteous,  among  those  who  have 
fulfilled  well  their  mission  on  earth,  and  that  his  sins  have  been 
forgiven,  (for  there  is  no  man  so  righteous  that  he  sin  not  ;)  and 
that  his  bodily  sufferings  and  the  pangs  of  death  have  purified 
his  spirit  from  the  dross  of  iniquity.  —  But  for  those  who  survive 
him,  for  his  bereaved  widow,  his  fatherless  children,  let  us 
invoke  the  mercy  of  Heaven  :  may  He  bestow  on  them  his  con- 
solation, even  his  blessed  spirit,  which  abideth  with  the  lowly 
and  contrite,  and  may  He  shield  them  by  his  beneficent  protec- 


FUNERAL  ADDRESS.  247 

tion  from  all  evil,  and  guide  them  unto  happiness  both  on  earth 
and  when  their  spirit  is  freed  from  the  trammels  of  the  body. 
May  He  be  the  Protector  of  the  widow,  and  the  Father  of  the 
fatherless,  and  teach  them  to  regard  Him,  the  holy  and  righteous 
One,  as  their  sole  Refuge,  as  He  is  the  Refuge  and  Solace  of 
all  the  children  of  man,  and  especially  of  his  people  Israel 
whom  He  chose  to  be  his  servants,  and  the  promulgators  of  his 
law  on  earth.  Amen. 

Elul2nd 
August  12th 

NOTE. — The  Reverend  Isaac  Benjamin  Seixas,  minister  of  the  congrega- 
tion Sheerith  Israel  of  New  York,  died  on  Sabbath  evening,  the  1st  of  Elul, 
5599.  I  was  sent  for  by  his  congregation  to  perform  the  funeral  service 
over  my  deceased  friend;  the  time  eft  me  for  throwing  together  a  few  ap- 
propriate remarks  for  this  mournful  occasion  was  necessarily  limited  to  less 
than  two  hours  before  retiring  to  rest  on  Sunday  night ;  as  I  had  to  com- 
mence my  journey  to  New  York  early  in  the  morning.  The  reader  will 
therefore  excuse  both  the  brevity  and  the  great  imperfections  with  which 
the  above  tribute  may  justly  be  charged  ;  it  ou^ht  p<  rhaps  not  to  have  ap- 
peared at  all  in  this  collection,  were  it  not  that  I  thought  myself  not  at 
liberty  to  pass  over  the  decease  of  Mr.  Seixas,  without  acknowledging  that 
a  part  of  my  usefulness  as  a  minister  of  our  congregation  was  owing  to  his 
instruction.  I.  L. 


ADDRESS 

ON  THE 

PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS  IN  THE  EAST. 

DELIVERED  AT 

THE  SYNAGOGUE  MIKVEH  ISRAEL, 

O\  THURSDAY  EVENING,  THE  28th  OF  AB,  5600— 27lh  OF  AUGUST,  1840. 


A  MEETING  to  express  sympathy  and  to  devise  means  of  relief  for  the  Is- 
raelites persecuted  in  the  East  on  account  of  false  accusations,  was  held  in 
the  Synagogue  as  mentioned  above  :  when  Mr.  A.  Hart  gave  a  succinct  his- 
tory of  the  cruelties  practised  against  our  brethren,  and  concluded  with  an 
appeal  to  the  feelings  and  sympathy  of  the  audience.  I  then  spoke  as 
follows : 

MR.  CHAIRMAN  AND  BRETHREN  ! 

The  gentleman  who  has  preceded  me  has  stated  to  you  the 
reason  of  our  assembling  at  this  unusual  time*  at  the  house  of 
God.  We,  the  inhabitants  of  a  land  where  a  benevolent  Provi- 
dence causes  to  prevail  an  equality  of  rights  and  an  entire  free- 
dom in  religious  pursuits,  have  met  for  the  purpose  of  publicly 
expressing  our  sympathy  for  those  of  our  brothers  who,  living 
where  the  "  bond  of  slavery  twineth,"  have  lately  been  sub- 
jected to  persecutions  at  which  the  blood  runs  cold,  and  this  for 
the  sake  of  false  accusations  brought  against  them,  not  as  men, 
but  as  members  of  the  Jewish  community.  Were  it  that  they 
only  suffered  unjustly,  even  if  the  charge  did  not  touch  our  an- 
cient system  of  faith,  still,  as  sons  of  Israel,  we  ourselves  would 
feel  the  wrong  that  they  have  unjustly  to  bear.  But  now  we 
have  an  additional  incentive  to  rouse  our  every  feeling  of  com- 
miseration and  regret ;  since  the  religion,  which  we  profess  in 

*  Alluding  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  which  was  past  the  usual  period  of 
the  evening  service. 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS.  249 

common  with  them,  has  been  stigmatized  as  authorizing  the 
shedding  of  human  blood  at  the  recurrence  of  the  annual  Pass- 
over. You  may  perhaps  smile  that  such  an  absurd  accusation 
should  at  all  be  made  !  you  may  feel  contempt  at  the  ignorance 
which  could  give  credence  to  such  superannuated  folly !  but 
our  smile  of  derision,  our  hearty  contempt,  do  not  affect  the 
mass  who  regard  not  with  kindness  the  remnant  of  Israel,  and 
will  not  disarm  the  malice  of  those  who  are  only  glad  of  every 
opportunity  to  send  new  sorrows  to  our  bosoms. — It  is  not  the 
first  time  that  it  has  been  said  and  believed  that  the  Jews  are 
commanded  to  slay  their  Christian  neighbours ;  and  at  a  time 
when  the  pestilence  raged  over  almost  the  whole  known  world, 
our  people  were  accused  of  causing  the  great  destruction  of 
human  life  by  poisoning  the  wells,  simply  because  in  proportion 
to  numbers  less  Jews  died  than  Christians.  The  consequence 
was  that  multitudes  of  the  accused  were  butchered  without  pity, 
and  those  whom  the  black  death  had  spared  fell  a  prey  to  the 
fury  of  an  excited  populace,  rendered  lawless  by  the  prevalence 
of  a  fatal  disorder,  which  daily  hurried  thousands  to  the  tomb. 
And  whenever  superstition  and  rapacity  wished  to  glut  them- 
selves in  the  destruction  of  our  defenceless  race,  the  charge  of 
murder  for  our  religious  rites  was  raised,  and,  as  was  the  case 
lately,  it  was  made  the  pretext  for  unsheathing  the  sword  and 
dooming  countless  numbers  of  innocent  victims  to  merciless 
slaughter.  O  !  then  were  times  of  sorrow  and  affliction;  we  wept, 
but  no  one  pitied,  our  gore  rendered  turbid  the  streams,  but  all 
passed  carelessly  by ;  they  heeded  not  our  cries,  they  regarded 
us  as  aliens  to  the  rights  of  man,  outcasts  from  Divine  favour. 
Those  were  indeed  times  when  our  harps  were  hung  upon  the 
willows  ;  when  the  voice  of  wailing  was  heard  in  every  home ; 
when  the  houses  of  prayer  were  filled,  not  with  living  worship- 
pers, but  with  the  bodies  of  those  slain  by  the  unpitying  perse- 
cutor. Whither  then  could  we  fly  ?  We  were  shunned  as 
murderers,  as  those  unclean  with  leprosy,  as  banished  from  the 
pale  of  the  laws ;  and  every  land  almost  forbade  us  its  boun- 
daries, every  city  almost  shut  its  gates  against  our  fugitives ; 
and  where  we  were  permitted  to  rest  awhile  we  had  to  pur- 
chase at  a  high  price  the  protection  of  some  powerful  chieftain, 
whether  civil  or  ecclesiastical ;  and  then  we  had  to  suffer  our- 


250  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

selves  to  be  confined  to  narrow  and  unwholesome  quarters,  and 
to  be  marked  in  our  garments  as  sons  of  Jacob.  Well  might 
a  noble  poet,*  who,  had  he  always  acted  as  he  at  times  felt, 
would  have  been  the  glory  of  human  nature,  thus  speak  of  the 
sorrowing  nation  descended  from  Abraham  : 

1. 

"  Oh  !  weep  for  those  that  wept  by  Babel's  stream, 
Whose  shrines  are  desolate,  whose  land  a  dream ; 
Weep  for  the  harp  of  Judah's  broken  shell ; 
Mourn — where  their  God  hath  dwelt  the  godless  dwell ! 

2. 

And  where  shall  Israel  lave  her  bleeding  feet  ? 
And  when  shall  Zion's  songs  again  seem  sweet  ? 
And  Judah's  melody  once  more  rejoice 
The  hearts  that  leaped  before  its  heavenly  voice  ? 

3. 

Tribes  of  the  wandering  foot  and  weary  breast, 
How  shall  ye  flee  away  and  be  at  rest ! 
The  wild  dove  hath  her  nest,  the  fox  his  cave, 
Mankind  their  country — Israel  but  the  grave  !" 

This  was  literally  true  for  centuries,  our  homes  were  not  safe 
from  invasion,  our  sanctuaries  ever  open  to  the  spoiler,  and  our 
sons  and  daughters  constantly  the  object  of  derision,  or  food  for 
the  sword.  Mankind  had  conspired  against  us,  and  death  alone 
was  viewed  as  an  unassailable  refuge  against  the  ills  that  accu- 
mulated over  our  heads.  And  even  where  permission  to  dwell 
was  granted  us,  we  were  yet  excluded  from  a  share  in  equal 
rights,  and  tolerated  merely  as  excrescences  on  the  body  poli- 
tic; condemned  to  low  pursuits, — prohibited  the  exercise  of 
mechanic  arts  and  the  study  of  ennobling  professions, — and 
continually  subjected  to  exactions  and  rapine. 

In  those  days  of  affliction,  contempt  and  scorn  were  our  uni- 
versal portion ;  and  Turk,  and  Pagan,  and  Christian,  alike  con- 
tributed to  pour  the  bitterness  of  gall  into  our  cup  of  life.  Yet 

*  Lord  Byron. 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 


251 


had  through  us  the  world  been  greatly  blessed  since  the  latter 
days  of  the  first  temple.  Our  views  of  the  Deity,  of  the  exalted 
attributes  of  the  Creator,  had  by  degrees  been  infused  into  the 
philosophy  of  the  heathen,  and  they  had  learned  a  new  source  of 
joy  by  looking  unto  a  state  of  pure  enjoyment  after  the  life  of  the 
body  had  become  extinct,  and  to  regard  the  idols  which  they 
worshipped  in  their  true  light  of  creatures  of  the  imagination.— 
At  a  later  period  there  arose  one  of  our  own  community,  who, 
be  the  accounts  related  of  him  false  or  true,  was  nevertheless 
the  means  of  the  spread  of  a  system  analogous  to  our  own  over 
a  large  portion  of  the  pagan  world ;  he  became,  though  doubt- 
lessly without  himself  dreaming  of  such  a  result,  the  messenger 
of  better  things  to  many  who  knew  not  God.  Still  was  he  a 
son  of  Abraham,  a  professor  of  the  same  religion  we  profess  at 
this  very  hour;  and  he  enjoined,  if  there  be  any  truth  in  the 
books  said  to  contain  an  account  of  his  life,  an  adherence  to 
the  law  as  it  existed  at  his  day;  at  the  same  time  all  the  injunc- 
tions of  brotherly  love  which  he  is  said  to  have  promulgated, 
are  clearly  referable  to  the  Law  of  Moses,  and  the  sayings  of 
our  blessed  Rabbins. — After  his  death,  and  centuries  after  his 
religion  had  begun  to  spread,  there  appeared  another  claiming 
affinity  with  our  race,  and  pronounced  himself  inspired  to  teach 
better  things  to  mankind ;  and  he  too  founded  his  doctrines  upon 
the  Law  of  Moses,  even  so  far  as  to  recognise,  in  addition  to 
the  unity  of  God,  a  weekly  day  of  rest  and  the  prohibition  of 
certain  articles  of  food,  besides  the  fundamental  covenant  of 
Abraham.  Speedily  persuasion  and  the  sword  banished,  under 
his  guidance  and  that  of  his  immediate  successors,  the  worship 
of  idols  from  Arabia,  Iran,  Tartary,  and  the  far  India;  even 
Ethiopia,  the  coasts  of  Africa,  and  Spain,  nay,  the  very  distant 
islands  of  the  Eastern  Archipelago,  and  the  countries  beyond 
the  great  desert,  yet  inaccessible  almost  to  the  European's  foot, 
acknowledged  the  sway  of  the  Koran,  and  the  Islam  became 
the  law  of  as  large  a  portion  of  mankind  as  then  acknowledged 
the  Christian  Gospels. — Yet,  take  it  as  we  will,  these  two 
mighty  revolutions  in  opinion  were  the  effect  of  the  religion  of 
the  Jews,  an  adoption  of  an  essential  part,  with  the  rejection  of 
the  ceremonial  laws,  by  many  and  powerful  nations.  In  this 
manner  then  were  civilization  and  an  enlightened  philosophy 


252  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

indebted  to  the  Jews,  or  rather  the  code  they  then  obeyed,  and 
to  this  day  obey,  for  much,  if  not  all  their  progress;  and  what- 
ever of  equality  of  rights,  of  mercy,  and  benevolence,  is  now 
prevalent,  we  may  freely  say,  has  its  foundation  in  the  Penta- 
teuch, the  law  of  the  Jews.  Does  now  the  Christian  religion 
recommend  human  sacrifice  ?  does  the  Koran  command  a  vic- 
tim to  be  slain  at  the  great  festival  of  the  Moslems?  We  know 
the  answer  must  be  in  the  negative;  nothing  but  ignorance, 
wilful  ignorance,  could  charge  the  Monolheists  who  are  not 
Jews  with  the  commission  of  a  crime  so  foreign  to  their  belief. 
But  does  the  Jewish  law,  less  than  that  of  Christians  or  Maho- 
medans,  demand  the  exercise  of  mercy,  forbid  the  commission 
of  murder  ?  We  have  yet  to  learn  that  it  does ;  for  he  who  has 
no  mercy  is  no  son  of  Israel,  and  he  who  pollutes  his  hands 
with  human  blood  becomes  a  prey  to  the  sword  of  the  avenger. 
We  know  of  no  difference  between  the  Israelite  and  the 
stranger ;  we  are  bound  to  assist  every  one  in  distress,  and  our 
neighbour  is  he  who,  like  us,  bears  the  stamp  of  the  human  face 
divine,  be  his  opinions  what  they  may ;  be  he  our  friend  or  our 
enemy ! 

And  yet,  how  much  had  we  to  suffer,  because  of  the  accusa- 
tion that  we  employed  human  blood,  the  blood  of  our  Christian 
fellow-rnen,  in  the  celebration  of  the  birth  of  our  people !  We 
ask,  Where  is  the  historical  evidence  that  such  a  thing  ever 
took  place?  we  demand,  Where  is  the  permission  to  be  dis- 
covered, I  will  not  say  in  the  Pentateuch,  but  in  any  of  our 
writings?  To  eat  of  the  blood,  nay,  in  the  smallest  quantity, 
of  a  brute  animal,  is  most  energetically  interdicted;  and  can 
reason  be  so  blinded  as  to  suppose  that  we  would  mix  human 
blood  in  the  unleavened  bread,  over  which  we  call  down  the 
blessings  of  the  Lord,  and  return  thanks  for  his  manifold 
mercies  to  his  people  Israel  ? — We  will  admit,  that  at  a  period 
when  the  rights  of  the  subject  were  but  imperfectly  under- 
stood, when  a  pontiff  could  dispose  of  crowns  as  of  ecclesi- 
astical benefices,  when  a  mighty  effort  was  made  to  enforce  a 
uniformity  of  opinions,  when  the  iron-clad  barons  were  not  able 
to  sign  their  names,  when  might  made  right,  and  the  dictum  of 
one  man  could  not  be  disputed,  except  at  the  risk  of  life:  it 
might  have  been  supposed  possible  for  the  multitude  to  be  de- 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS.*  253 

luded  by  the  persuasion  of  those  whose  lead  they  followed,  to 
believe  any  absurdity  with  regard  to  the  Jews  who  lived  among 
them  as  outcasts  from  human  rights,  and  whose  supposed  wealth 
was  always  an  object  to  be  coveted  by  the  lords  no  less  than  by 
the  rabble.  But  it  surpasses  belief,  that  with  the  progress  of 
enlightened  principles,  this  absurd  idea  should  have  survived  in 
its  odious  deformity;  at  a  time,  too,  when  Spain,  once  the  slave 
at  the  feet  of  an  inquisition,  demands  a  free  constitution,  and 
when  the  new  Sultan  of  the  Osmalins  gives  a  new  charter  to 
his  people,  who  will  doubtlessly  in  future  ages  revere  the  name 
of  Abdul  Medjid,  whatever  his  fate  now  may  be  in  those  mu- 
tations, from  which  thrones  are  not  exempt. — We  cannot  be  too 
much  astonished  at  the  folly  or  effrontery  which,  at  the  present 
day,  pretends  to  lend  credence  to  a  foul  calumny  which  the 
better  disposed,  during  even  the  dark  ages,  refused  to  entertain. 
But  so  it  is,  the  mass  is  ever  ready  to  put  faith  in  the  marvel- 
lous and  the  extraordinary,  no  matter  if  their  absurdity  should 
be  apparent  on  the  very  surface;  and  all  we  can  say  is,  that 
with  the  progress  of  civilization  many  have  fallen  behind  the 
march  of  intellect  in  others,  and  that  human  nature  is  prone  to 
err,  and  this  in  an  aggravated  degree,  at  all  ages  of  the  world. 
Were  any  proof  of  this  wanting,  the  recent  tragic  scenes  in 
Damascus  and  Rhodes  would  give  ample  confirmation.  You 
must  know,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  not  everywhere  have  our 
rights  been  acknowledged  as  in  this  happy  land,  happy  for  the 
Israelite,  because  here  no  one  can  demand  of  him  a  test-oath  to 
testify  to  that  which  he  inwardly  disbelieves,  before  he  is  per- 
mitted to  fill  a  station  for  which  his  talents  qualify  him.  Yet, 
in  many  lands  we  are  tolerated  merely,  and  constitute  not  a 
part  of  the  state,  as  we  do  here  and  in  a  few  other  enlightened 
countries.  So,  too,  in  the  dominions  of  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  the 
renowned  Mehemet  Ali,  are  we  left  unprotected  by  any  law, 
save  the  will  of  the  ruling  chief,  or  those  who  administer  the 
government  in  his  name ;  add  to  which  that  in  the  lands  of  the 
East,  human  life  is  not  held  sacred,  but  is  ever  at  the  mercy  of 
the  despot,  and  the  possession  of  wealth  is  often  the  passport  to 
destruction. 

Now  it  so  happened,  as  you  already  know,  that  an  old  man 
disappeared ;  whether  murdered  or  not,  no  one  has  clearly 

VOL.  in. — 22 


254  •PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

shown ;  and  if  murdered,  it  has  not  yet  been  proved,  as  far  as 
our  knowledge  extends,  who  his  murderers  are.  But  our 
brothers  in  Damascus  are  wealthy,  they  are  subject,  at  the  best 
of  times,  to  great  cruelties  and  grinding  exactions  ;  and  do  you 
think  that  so  favourable  an  opportunity  for  pillage  would  be 
suffered  to  pass  ?  Little  would  you  know  the  spirit  of  despotism 
if  you  were  to  think  so  j,  for  though  ever  ready  to  oppress,  it 
greedily  seizes  every  opportunity  to  give  some  colouring  of 
justice  to  its  exactions.  The  result  has  been  what  might  natu- 
rally have  been  expected.  One  humble  individual,  at  first 
arrested  upon  the  vaguest  suspicion,  was  beaten  till  his  tormen- 
tors could  not  do  otherwise  than  cease  in  the  infliction;  he  was 
taken  back  to  prison,  and  there  tampered  with  to  induce  him  to 
accuse,  not  those  of  a  low  degree  like  himself,  but  the  first  in 
wealth  and  learning  which  the  city  could  furnish.  They  were 
seized  and  tortured;  some  died  under  the  excruciating  pain 
they  had  to  endure;  others  accused  themselves  guilty  of  the 
crime  of  murdering  the  missing  individual ;  one  adopted  the 
Mussulman  religion ;  whilst  others,  patiently  enduring  the 
most  intense  suffering,  still  clung  to  the  truth,  and  refused 
making  any  confession  of  guilt  in  themselves  or  others,  of 
which  they  were  guiltless.  The  name  of  one  of  these  noble 
martyrs  has  reached  me,  it  is  Mussa  Salonikli,  who  adhered  to 
the  protestation  of  his  innocence  when  the  endurance  of  others 
was  broken  down.  Such  a  man  deserves  to  be  held  in  honour- 
able remembrance  for  future  ages,  as  an  example  of  a  true 
Israelite,  who  exhibited  a  filial  confidence  in  his  God  under  the 
greatest  trials  to  which  poor  mortality  can  be  subjected. — But 
with  the  seizure  of  the  first  accused  the  persecution  did  not 
stop;  others  of  the  best  and  noblest  were  barbarously  mal- 
treated, and  many  children  were  thrown  into  prison,  and  kept 
upon  miserable  food,  to  induce  their  parents  to  come  forward 
and  accuse  persons  acceptable  to  the  monster  Sheriff  Pacha, 
who,  if  report  speaks  true,  must  have  known  from  the  recanta- 
tion of  one  who  had  embraced  Moslemism,  that  the  charge  of 
murder  against  our  brothers  was  no  less  false  than  foul. 

You  may  ask,  Why  did  not  the  Jews  rise  against  their  op- 
pressors ?  But,  Mr.  Chairman,  ages  of  suffering  deaden  the 
spirit;  and  they  render  powerless  the  hands  of  those  who  other- 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS."  255 

wise  might  strike  for  their  own  liberation  ;  faint-heartedness  has 
long,  therefore,  been  the  lot  of  our  brothers  who  languish  under 
oppression,  and  many  have  become  passive  even  under  every 
cruelty.  We  who,  under  different  circumstances,  feel  so  very 
differently,  must  not,  in  the  knowledge  of  our  security,  despise 
those  whom  adverse  fortunes  have  so  bowed  down;  on  the 
contrary,  let  us  admire  their  patient  endurances,  for  having  re- 
mained true  to  our  faith  under  every  trial  they  had  to  undergo. 
Let  us  from  the  midst  of  our  thankfulness  to  God  for  having 
blessed  us  so  much  more  than  we  deserve,  express  our  sympathy 
for  those  who  suffer  elsewhere;  those  who,  with  us,  are  de- 
scended from  the  stock  of  the  Patriarchs.  But  what  need  is 
there  for  this  appeal  1  Around  me  are  those  who  have  assem- 
bled for  no  other  purpose  than  to  express,  in  language  not  to  be 
misunderstood,  that  they  feel  for  their  brothers  who  languish 
under  the  cruel  bondage  of  oppression;  that  every  cry  of  an- 
guish, uttered  by  their  fellow-believers  elsewhere,  touches  a 
sympathetic  chord  in  their  own  hearts. — O,  this  is  a  soothing 
reflection !  we  have  no  country  of  our  own ;  we  have  no  longer 
a  united  government,  under  the  shadow  of  which  we  can  live 
securely ;  but  we  have  a  tie  yet  holier  than  a  fatherland,  a 
patriotism  stronger  than  the  community  of  one  government; 
our  tie  is  a  sincere  brotherly  love,  our  patriotism  is  the  affection 
which  unites  the  Israelite  of  one  land  to  that  of  another.  As 
citizens  we  belong  to  the  country  we  live  in ;  but  as  believers 
in  one  God.  as  the  faithful  adorers  of  the  Creator,  as  the  inheri- 
tors of  the  law,  the  Jews  of  England,  and  Russia,  and  Sweden, 
are  no  aliens  among  us,  and  we  hail  the  Israelite  as  a  brother, 
no  matter  if  his  home  be  the  torrid  zone,  or  where  the  poles 
encircle  the  earth  with  the  impenetrable  fetters  of  icy  coldness. 
We  have  therefore  met  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  our  ab- 
horrence of  the  calumny  cast  on  our  religion  in  another  part  of 
the  world,  and  to  offer  our  aid,  in  conjunction  with  our  brothers 
in  other  towns  both  of  this  country  and  elsewhere,  to  those  who 
have  been  subjected  to  such  unmerited  barbarities.  Perhaps 
the  united  voice  of  all  the  professors  of  our  blessed  religion  may 
reach  the  ears  of  the  potentates  of  the  earth ;  perhaps  public 
attention  may  be  roused  to  the  wrongs  we  have  so  long  suf- 
fered, and  all  acknowledge  that  our  system  is  one  of  love  and 


256  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

peace,  and  that  it  is  an  essential  point  with  us  to  do  our  duty  to 
the  state  no  less  than  to  observe  the  divine  commands.  If  this 
should  be  the  case,  if  those  differing  from  us  would  grant  us 
everywhere  an  equality  of  rights,  not  as  apostates  from,  but  as 
adherents  to,  our  ancient  religion:  then  indeed  will  the  martyrs 
at  Damascus  not  have  suffered  in  vain,  for  their  sorrows  would 
.then  bring  peace  to  Israel. — Now,  Mr.  Chairman,  is  this  hoping 
for  too  much?  I  hardly  think  so.  Already  the  transaction 
which  we  deplore  has  raised  up  advocates  for  us  among  our 
Christian  friends ;  and  if  the  name  of  Ratti-Menton  will  live  in 
the  disgrace  which  he  so  well  merits,  the  generous  Mr.  Merlato 
at  Damascus,  and  Mr.  Laurin  at  Alexandria,  who  there  repre- 
sent the  Emperor  of  Austria,  will  be  remembered  with  gratitude 
for  their  unsolicited  exertions  in  our  behalf. — In  England,  too, 
the  subject  has  awakened  attention,  and  one  of  its  great  minds, 
who  formerly  opposed  our  admission  to  equal  rights,  the  re- 
nowned Sir  Robert  Peel,  has  already  thought  proper  to  mention 
the  case  of  the  sufferers  in  parliament,  with  every  demonstra- 
tion that  he  too  feels  that  a  great  wrong  has  been  done  to  an 
innocent  people.  There  too  has  been  an  O'Connell,  a  Noel,  a 
Thompson,  and  many  others  to  speak  in  our  behalf;  and  doubt- 
lessly in  this  land  too,  perhaps  in  this  city,  men  will  step  for- 
ward to  vindicate  the  rights  of  man  outraged  in  the  persons  of 
the  Jews  at  Damascus.  Perhaps  a  voice  too  loud  to  remain 
unheeded  may  be  raised  against  the  use  of  torture  in  trials,  and 
that  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  in  whose  dominions  are  Damascus 
and  Jerusalem,  may  be  induced  to  abolish  it  altogether;  and  so 
not  we  alone,  but  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  may  have 
cause  to  rejoice  in  the  present  movement  in  which  we  are 
engaged,  though  sorrow  was  its  first  promoter.  And  why 
should  the  case  of  the  Jews  be  less  attended  to  than  that  of 
the  Greeks?  When  the  sons  of  ancient  Hellas  broke  the 
chains  of  the  Ottoman  power,  all  Europe  and  America  were 
awakened  in  their  behalf;  but  have  they  any  greater  claim 
upon  the  sympathy  of  the  world  than  we  have?  We  admit 
that  the  Greeks  may  have  been  the  fathers  of  architecture,  of 
painting,  of  sculpture,  and  of  tragic  poetry ;  but  the  world 
is  indebted  to  us  far  more,  for  a  gift  far  nobler,  for  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Decalogue,  for  the  word  of  God,  the  holy  and  pre- 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS.  257 

cious  Bible,  the  book  more  venerable  than  all  books,  the  parent 
of  a  pure  belief,  the  foundation  of  true  happiness,  of  religion 
without  bigotry,  of  liberty  without  licentiousness. 

Another  happy  effect  has  already  resulted  from  the  same 
cause;  it  has  awakened  anew  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love 
among  us,  and  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  experiencing 
that  oceans  may  intervene  between  our  dispersed  remnants, 
that  mountains  may  divide  us,  but  that  yet  the  Israelite  is  ever 
alive  to  the  welfare  of  his  distant  brother,  and  sorrows  with  his 
sorrow,  and  rejoices  in  his  joy.  The  times  also  have  produced 
spirits  adequate  to  the  emergency,  and  a  Cremieux  of  Paris,  and 
a  Montefiore  of  London,  will  be  long  remembered  as  the  gene- 
rous, active  friends  of  their  people,  who  nobly  volunteered  to 
plead  the  cause  of  their  brothers  in  distant  lands.  Let  us  trust 
that  the  Lord  may  prosper  their  way,  and  bring  them  back  to 
their  families  after  the  happy  termination  of  their  mission  of 
love. 

It  is  now,  Mr.  Chairman,  as  ever  it  was  ;  although  banished 
and  scattered  over  every  land  for  our  manifold  transgressions, 
we  are  not  cast  off  nor  utterly  forsaken  by  our  God.  He  has 
been  our  shield,  as  He  was  the  shield  of  our  forefathers ;  and 
as  out  of  every  evil  He  always  caused  good  to  spring  unto 
Israel,  so  let  us  hope  that  this  present  occasion  may  not  pass 
away  without  a  proportionate  benefit  accruing  unto  us  and  the 
world  at  large,  under  the  dispensation  of  his  Providence.  I  say 
"  unto  us  and  the  world  at  large ;"  since  our  cause  is  not  the 
cause  of  faction,  and  when  we  prosper  it  is  not  for  the  oppres- 
sion of  any  human  being,  for  never  yet  were  our  people  perse- 
cutors for  opinion's  sake,  because  the  law  of  God  was  always  a 
code  of  toleration  and  benevolence ;  and  then,  the  more  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  is  spread,  the  more  it  is  understood,  the 
stronger  will  be  the  feeling  of  attachment  which  will  unite  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  as  a  nation  of  brothers. 

In  conclusion,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  will  repeat  the  words  of  the 
wise  Solomon,  invoking  the  blessing  of  our  heavenly  Father 
upon  us  and  our  undertaking :  "  The  Lord  our  God  be  with  us, 
as  He  was  with  our  fathers ;  O  may  He  not  leave,  nor  forsake 
us;  may  He  incline  our  hearts  towards  Him,  to  walk  in  all  his 

22* 


258  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

ways,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  his  statutes  and  judg- 
ments which  He  commanded  our  fathers." 

With  your  permission,  I  will  now  offer  a  preamble  and  a 
series  of  resolutions  for  the  approval  of  this  meeting: 

The  Israelites  residing  in  Philadelphia,  in  common  with  those 
of  other  places,  have  heard  with  the  deepest  sorrow,  that  in  this 
enlightened  age  the  absurd  charge  of  their  requiring  human 
blood,  at  the  celebration  of  their  Passover,  has  been  revived, 
and  that  an  accusation  of  this  nature  having  been  brought 
against  their  brethren  at  Damascus  and  the  Island  of  Rhodes 
has  been  the  cause  of  a  most  cruel  persecution  being  waged 
against  them,  by  order  of  the  Mussulman  authorities,  instigated, 
as  it  is  feared,  by  one  or  more  of  the  European  residents. 

They  have  learned  also,  with  unfeigned  horror,  that  several 
prominent  men  at  Damascus  have  been  seized  by  their  ruthless 
persecutors,  and  tortured  till  some  confessed  thefnselves  guilty 
of  a  crime  which  they  never  committed ;  and  others  died  under 
the  most  exquisite  barbarities,  which  ignorant  bigotry,  urged 
by  the  love  of  plunder  and  hatred  of  the  Jewish  name,  could 
invent. 

Although  the  Israelites  of  Philadelphia,  living  in  a  land  where, 
under  the  blessing  of  Providence,  equality  of  civil  and  religious 
rights  so  eminently  prevails,  are  not  in  any  danger  of  persecu- 
tion for  opinion's  sake :  still  they  cannot  rest  while  so  foul  a 
blot  is  cast  upon  their  ancient  and  sacred  faith,  a  faith  on  which 
both  the  Christian  and  Mahomedan  religions  are  founded,  and 
which  is  essentially  a  law  of  justice,  of  mercy,  and  benevo- 
lence ;  and  they  would  deem  themselves  traitors  to  brotherly 
love  and  the  rights  of  outraged  humanity,  were  they  to  with- 
hold their  expression  of  sympathy  for  their  suffering  brethren, 
who  writhe  under  unmerited  tortures,  and  languish  in  loath- 
some dungeons,  and  to  offer  their  aid,  if  practicable,  to  have 
impartial  justice  administered  to  them  upon  the  present  and  any 
future  occasion.  The  Israelites  of  Philadelphia  have  therefore 
met  in  public  meeting,  and 

Resolved,  That  they  experience  the  deepest  emotions  of  sym- 
pathy for  the  sufferings  endured  by  their  fellows  in  faith  at 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS.  259 

Damascus  and  Rhodes,  under  the  tortures  and  injuries  inflicted 
upon  them  by  merciless  and  savage  persecutors ;  and  that,  while 
they  mourn  for  those  upon  whom  such  cruel  enormities  have 
been  heaped,  they  cannot  but  admire  the  fortitude  evinced  by 
many  of  the  sufferers,  who  preferred  enduring  every  torture 
rather  than  subscribing  to  the  falsehoods  dictated  by  their  vin- 
dictive enemies. 

Resolved,  That  the  crime  charged  upon  the  Israelites  of  Da- 
mascus, of  using  Christian  blood  for  their  festival  of  redemption 
from  Egypt,  is  utterly  at  variance  with  the  express  injunction 
of  the  Decalogue  and  other  parts  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  incom- 
patible with  the  principles  inculcated  by  the  religion  they  pro- 
fess, which  enjoins  them  to  "  love  their  neighbour  as  them- 
selves," and  "  to  do  justice,  love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly 
before  God." 

Resolved,  That  they  will  co-roperate  with  their  brethren  else- 
where in  affording  pecuniary  aid,  if  required,  to  relieve  the 
victims  of  this  unholy  persecution,  and  to  unite  in  such  other 
measures  as  may  be  devised  to  mitigate  their  sufferings. 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  meeting  be  accorded  to  the 
consuls  of  those  European  powers,  who  made  efforts  to  stay 
the  arm  of  persecution,  and  who  by  this  deed  deserve  well  of 
the  cause  of  suffering  humanity. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  highly  appreciates  the  prompt 
and  energetic  measures  adopted  by  our  brethren  in  Europe,  and 
elsewhere,  for  the  promotion  of  the  object  of  this  meeting,  and 
the  noble  undertaking  of  Monsieur  Cremieux  and  Sir  Moses 
Montefiore,  in  coming  forward  not  only  as  the  champions  of 
the  oppressed,  but  also  as  the  defenders  of  the  Jewish  nation  ; 
and  this  meeting  expresses  the  hope  that  the  God  of  Israel  will 
shield  and  protect  them,  and  restore  them  to  their  families  in 
the  enjoyment  of  unimpaired  health. 

Resolved,  That,  in  conjunction  with  our  brethren  in  other 
cities,  a  letter  be  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  respectfully  requesting  him  to  instruct  the  representative 
of  the  United  Stales  at  Constantinople,  and  the  United  States' 
Consul  in  the  dominions  of  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  to  co-operate 
with  the  Ambassadors  and  Consuls  of  other  powers  to  procure 


260  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  JEWS. 

for  our  accused  brethren  at  Damascus  and  elsewhere  an  impar- 
tial trial ;  and  to  urge  upon  the  Emperor  of  Turkey  and  the 
Pacha  of  Egypt  to  prohibit  the  use  of  torture  in  their  judicial 
proceedings ;  and  farther,  that  he  be  requested  to  instruct  the 
representatives  of  this  country  to  urge  the  governments  to 
which  they  are  accredited,  to  exert  their  influence  for  the  same 
purpose.* 

*  The  Resolutions  were  the  joint  production  of  different  persons,  and  so 
appear  in  the  pamphlet  containing  the  transactions  of  the  meeting.  Several 
other  resolutions  adopted  are  omitted  here  as  containing  nothing  of  a  per- 
manent character. 

It  is  to  be  remarked,  that  the  first  report  of  the  wealth  of  the  Israelites  at 
Damascus  is  said  to  have  been  much  exaggerated,  and  they  are,  as  we  have 
been  informed  since  the  meeting,  poor  in  every  respect,  with  few  exceptions 
only;  but  it  would  also  seem  that  these  very  persons  were  selected  as  the 
objects  of  persecution,  together  with  a  few  who  held  a  high  station  for  learn- 
ing and  influence.  It  is  also  reported  that  four  actually  expired  under  the 
tortures  which  they  had  to  suffer. 


PRAYER, 

AT  THE 

FIRST   ANNIVERSARY   PUBLIC   EXAMINATION 

OF  THE 

SUNDAY  SCHOOL  FOR 
RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  OF  ISRAELITES  IN  PHILADELPHIA, 

HELD  ON  SUNDAY,  ADAR  15th,  5599— MARCH  3d,  1839, 
AT  THE  MASONIC  HALL. 


O  OUR  God  !  and  the  God  of  our  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob  thy  servants,  whose  words  are  true,  and  whose  faith- 
fulness is  never-failing,  Thou  hast  spoken  through  the  mouth 
of  the  messenger  "  faithful  in  all  thy  house :"  "  In  all  places 
where  I  shall  permit  my  name  to  be  mentioned,  I  will  come 
unto  thee  and  I  will  bless  thee."  Do  Thou  now  according  to 
thy  promise,  and  let  thy  glory  be  here  present  among  us,  un- 
seen by  our  eyes,  but  inwardly  felt  in  our  spirit.  Dwell  in  our 
heart,  and  purify  it  unto  thy  service ;  remove  from  it  deceit, 
cunning  and  duplicity,  so  that  we  may  not  be  led  to  falter  in 
our  duty  and  love  to  Thee ;  but  fortify  us,  strengthen  us,  that 
we  may  be  elevated  above  the  desires  of  the  sinful  flesh — des- 
pising worldly  gain  which  would  counsel  us  to  transgress  thy 
holy  will — rejecting  the  desires  of  the  heart  of  stone  which 
would  seek  to  place  its  own  pursuits  above  the  commandments 
of  thy  life-bringing  law.  And  O  our  Father  !  teach  us  to  feel 
our  nothingness,  for  a  shadow  are  our  days  on  earth  ;  enable 
us  by  thy  grace  to  look  upon  this  life  as  a  pilgrimage  to  thy 
blissful  dwelling ;  in  order  that  when  blessed  with  worldly 
goods  we  may  look  upon  them  as  means  for  our  happiness,  not 
as  our  destined  happiness ;  means  given  by  thy  favour  only, 
to  be  taken  back  when  in  thy  wisdom  Thou  deemedst  us  no 


262  PRAYER. 

longer  worthy  of  enjoying  them.  Teach  us  to  regard  such 
wealth  as  belonging  entirely  to  Thee,  so  that  we  may  conquer 
our  unholy  desire  for  worldly  possessions  to  devote  a  part  of 
our  substance  to  thy  service,  "  inasmuch  as  from  Thee  is  all, 
and  we  give  only  unto  Thee  what  thy  bounty  has  bestowed 
on  us." — But  also  if  Thou  hast  decreed  that  we  should  labour  in 
vain,  if  Thou  hast  withholden  thy  blessing  from  the  work  of 
our  hands :  inspire  us  with  fortitude  to  be  resigned  to  thy  will, 
and  guard  us  from  a  rebellious  spirit  which  would  fain  mislead 
us  from  the  path  marked  out  for  us  by  thy  wisdom.  And 
also  if  bodily  suffering  is  apportioned  to  us,  let  thy  goodness 
be  our  shield ;  that  even  whilst  the  body  is  tortured  by  pain,  and 
our  soul  taking  hence  her  upward  flight,  we  may  unceasingly 
sing  thy  praise. — And  wherever  we  are,  whithersoever  thy  pro- 
vidence may  lead  us,  be  Thou  our  Portion  and  Protector ; 
guard  us  by  the  refuge  of  thy  wings  from  the  terrors  of  the 
night,  from  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day,  from  the  pestilence 
that  stalketh  in  the  darkness,  and  the  destruction  that  wasteth 
at  the  noon  of  day.  Let  thy  care  be  at  all  times  over  us  as  a 
shield  and  a  buckler,  so  that  securely  we  may  pass  our  allotted 
time  on  earth. 

Display  farther  thy  goodness  unto  us,  and  cause  that  thy 
name  may  be  sanctified  out  of  the  mouth  of  these  children  who 
have  been  drawn  hither  to  imbibe  instruction  of  thy  will,  by  ihe 
aid  of  the  daughters  of  thy  servants  who  have  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  goodly  work.  Bless  the  scholars  with  an  under- 
standing heart  and  a  willing  spirit ;  that  they,  understanding  the 
truth,  may  learn  to  preserve  it  ever  sacred  in  their  hearts,  and 
as  willing  servants  to  be  always  ready  to  teach  unto  others  the 
truth  that  in  them  dwelleth,  and  to  inculcate  by  precept  and  a 
uniform  virtuous  holy  life  to  those  who  may  come  after  them 
the  sacred  truths  which  Thou  hast  revealed.  Teach  them  of 
thy  own  wisdom ;  enlighten  them  above  those  who  instruct 
them ;  and  let  thy  unity  be  firmly  fixed  in  their  souls,  and 
strengthen  them  so  that  amidst  all  trials,  nay  in  the  last 
moments  of  dissolution,  the  acknowledgment  of  Thee,  O 
only  One  God  and  everlasting  King,  may  never  be  moved 
from  their  mouth,  but  that  in  sincerity  and  entire  faith  they 
mav  exclaim  :  "  Hear,  O  Israel !  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Lord 


PRAYER.  263 

is  One."  And  grant  that  from  this  school  thy  law  may 
spread,  and  that  servants  and  faithful  followers  may  be  mul- 
tiplied in  Israel  unto  the  end  of  time.  Upon  the  teachers 
also  bestow  thy  blessing,  guard  their  lips  from  uttering  error, 
and  their  tongue  from  deceit;  be  Thou  with  them  in  their 
teaching,  and  let  nothing  but  truth,  nothing  but  what  is  ac- 
cording to  thy  will  be  taught  by  them ;  for  Thou  alone,  our 
God  and  Instructor,  canst  guard  us  against  error,  and  unless 
upheld  by  Thee  we  are  like  the  blind  struggling  amid  pitfalls 
and  snares.  Let  thy  wisdom,  which  erst  inspired  thy  prophets, 
fill  their  minds  with  due  understanding  that  they  may  lead 
those  looking  upon  them  for  the  waters  of  life  unto  the  fountain 
whence  alone  issues  the  refreshing  stream  of  holiness  and  true 
knowledge.  Bless  these  thy  handmaids,  who  have  devoted 
themselves,  to  dispense  religious  knowledge  without  fee  or  price, 
with  thy  favour,  and  enable  them  to  lead  a  life  consistent  with 
their  sacred  calling — let  them  be  pure  themselves,  and  give 
them  grace  to  purify  others ;  grant  that  they  may  be  quick  in 
understanding  thy  law,  and  blessed  whilst  blessing  others ;  and 
cause  that  their  example  may  be  followed  in  other  places,  until 
there  be  no  son  or  daughter  of  Israel  that  is  unacquainted  with 
thy  service  in  the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth. 

Upon  this  city  likewise  and  its  inhabitants  shed  thy  blessing, 
and  bestow  plenty  and  competence  upon  all  the  children  of  thy 
creation.  Upon  this  land  grant  the  blessing  of  peace,  let  not 
the  clash  of  armour,  the  rushing  of  the  war  steed,  the  rattling 
of  the  sword  and  the  roar  of  the  deadly  artillery  be  heard  in  its 
boundaries,  and  fill  the  hearts  of  its  rulers  and  citizens  with 
wisdom,  that  they  may  govern  with  justice  and  mercy;  and  fill 
the  whole  land  with  a  spirit  of  benevolence  and  kindness,  that 
every  man  may  forbear  from  righting  himself  by  the  strength 
of  his  own  hand. 

O  Lord !  relying  upon  thy  unbounded  goodness  we  have 
dared  to  approach  Thee,  and  to  ask  the  many  undeserved 
favours  we  stand  in  need  of;  not  upon  our  righteousness  do 
we  rely,  but  upon  thy  unlimited  mercies ;  do  Thou  therefore, 
and  because  of  thy  covenant  with  our  fathers,  hear  our  voice 
in  thy  high  abode,  and  forgive  us  our  trespasses  and  our  ini- 
quity, for  well  we  know  that  we  have  sinned,  we  and  our 


PRAYER. 

fathers  ;  but  not  according  to  our  deeds  wilt  Thou  act  towards 
us,  for  thy  wont  is  to  withhold  long  thy  anger,  and  thy  custom 
is  to  have  compassion  upon  thy  creatures  who  return  unto  Thee 
with  a  repentant  spirit.  Have  mercy  then  on  Israel  thy  people 
and  on  Jerusalem  thy  city  on  which  thy  name  is  called  ;  and 
send  salvation  into  the  world  through  him  whom  Thou  wilt 
send  as  the  harbinger  of  peace,  even  the  anointed,  the  son  of 
David,  and  Elijah  the  angel  of  the  covenant.  "  And  may  the 
beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us  ;  and  establish  Thou  the 
work  of  our  hands  upon  us;  yea,  the  work  of  our  hands  establish 
Thou  it."  May  this  be  thy  will,  O  our  Father  and  King  !  from 
now  unto  everlastin.  Amen. 


Adar  15th  7 
March  1st  I 


PRAYER, 

AT  THE 

SECOND  ANNUAL  EXAMINATION 

OF  THE 

SUNDAY   SCHOOL, 

HELD  VEADAR  24,  5600— MARCH  29,  1840, 
AT  THE   SYNAGOGUE. 


MAY  thy  name,  O  Lord  our  God,  be  praised  unto  everlast- 
ing, even  from  eternity  to  eternity,  for  Thine  is  the  glory  and 
the  power,  and  thy  providence  watches  over  all  the  beings 
whom  thy  word  has  created.  Wherever  we  turn,  we  behold 
the  works  of  thy  goodness,  the  doings  of  thy  beneficence ;  and 
life,  and  health,  and  wisdom,  and  light  are  all  gifts  which  pro- 
ceed from  Thee  solely.  For  who  is  with  Thee  in  heaven?  and 
who  is  near  Thee  on  earth?  Above,  Thou  reignest  alone,  there 
is  no  second  to  share  the  rule  with  Thee,  omnipotent  Father ! 
and  on  earth  all  are  thy  creatures,  all  the  works  of  thy  own 
hands.  There  is  no  saviour  without  Thee;  for  when  Thou 
woundest,  who  shall  heal  ?  if  Thou  smitest,  who  can  save  from 
thy  power?  and  if  thy  wrath  is  enkindled,  who  shall  appease 
Thee,  save  it  be  that  thy  mercy  forgives  the  repentant  sinner? 
It  is  to  Thee,  therefore,  that  we  call  in  our  distress ;  to  Thee, 
therefore,  we  pray ;  to  Thee,  therefore,  we  bend  the  knee.  O, 
that  all  flesh  might  like  us  be  taught  to  revere  Thee  alone. 
O,  that  all  Israel  might  be  made  of  one  heart,  and  one  spirit, 
to  serve  Thee  in  truth  and  sincerity ! 

The  heavens  and  the  heavens  of  heavens  cannot  contain 
Thee,  for  all  have  sprung  from  Thee ;  all  is  sustained  by  thy 

VOL.  HI. — 23 


266  PRAYER. 

might ;  all  lives  only  with  and  through  Thee.  Yet  Thou  hast 
ever  deigned  to  fix  thy  dwelling  in  the  midst  of  thy  servants, 
and  from  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  Thou  hast  founded 

O 

thy  mighty  works ;  the  deeds  done  by  the  innocent,  the  words 
of  purity  flowing  from  their  mouth  are  to  Thee  agreeable 
savour ;  and  Thou  delightest  in  the  offering  of  prayer  which 
the  humble  sacrifice  unto  Thee,  O  our  Saviour !  Behold  us 
then  this  day  assembled  in  this  house  which  has  been  built  for 
thy  worship,  with  our  children,  our  sons  and  daughters,  whom 
thy  servants  endeavour  to  rear  up  to  know  and  to  fear  Thee 
all  the  days  they  may  live  on  earth,  and  to  instruct  in  the  law 
of  thy  will  which  Thou  gavest  unto  our  forefathers  in  the  days 
of  yore,  when  they  beheld  thy  glory,  saw  thy  fire,  and  heard 
thy  voice.  How  shall  we  thank  Thee?  how  shall  we  praise 
Thee,  for  this  boon  which  Thou  didst  so  graciously  bestow  on 
us,  by  which  Thou  didst  separate  us  from  the  heathen,  and 
bring  us  near  unto  thy  service  to  fear  thy  name,  and  to  be 
the  witnesses  of  thy  glory  ?  In  all  our  wanderings  it  has  been 
our  stay,  amidst  all  our  sorrows  it  has  been  our  support;  nnd 
unto  this  day  we  are  sustained  through  it  as  a  people  distinct 
and  separate  from  the  other  nations  of  the  earth.  We  humbly 
confess,  that  it  is  not  our  wisdom  and  our  knowledge  that  have 
done  this;  but  the  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  which  Thou  didst 
impart  unto  us  through  the  hands  of  thy  servant  Moses,  the 
chosen  messenger  of  thy  goodness.  We  therefore  implore 
Thee,  O  Lord  our  God,  and  God  of  our  fathers !  to  strengthen 
us  in  our  striving  to  promulgate  the  knowledge  of  thy  word; 
to  instil  into  us,  and  all  those  engaged  in  teaching  the  precepts 
of  thy  code  persuasive  wisdom,  and  eloquence  of  speech,  that 
our  words  may  sink  deep  into  the  hearts  of  all  those  who  come 
to  learn,  that  the  seed  which  is  planted  mid  labour  and  sorrow 
may  produce  fruits  of  holiness  and  devotion,  promoting  adora- 
tion of  Thee,  the  only  God,  and  love  to  our  fellow-men,  who, 
like  us,  have  received  a  living  soul  and  a  feeling  heart. 

May  it  also  be  thy  will,  to  receive  in  favour  this  endeavour 
of  the  daughters  of  Israel  in  this  and  other  cities,  to  found  in- 
stitutions for  the  spread  of  godliness;  prosper  their  work,  for- 
ward their  enterprize,  and  grant  that  whilst  blessing  they  may 
be  blest ;  that  whilst  teaching  they  may  learn ;  that  whilst  puri- 


PRAYER.  267 

fying  they  may  be  purified,  and  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
good,  and  be  led  to  follow  that  path  of  righteousness  and  truth 
which  leads  to  everlasting  happiness.  May  many  be  induced 
to  imitate  their  example ;  may  their  reward  be  a  multitude  of 
disciples,  freed  from  the  bonds  of  unbelief,  armed  with  the 
knowledge  of  truth,  that  they  may  be  able  to  withstand  the  at- 
tacks of  those  who  love  not  Israel,  and  who  would  gladly  wean 
them  from  the  observance  of  thy  precepts. 

But  what  are  we,  that  we  have  been  brought  hither  ?  what 
is  our  life  ?  what  is  our  righteousness  ?  A  day  passes,  and  we 
are  cut  off;  Thou  hidest  thy  face,  and  we  perish;  in  the  midst 
of  our  devotion  our  thoughts  often  wander;  and  whilst  wor- 
shipping, our  mind  is  turned  towards  gain  and  the  vanities  of 
this  life.  All  the  benefits  we  receive  from  thee  are  undeserved 
by  us  ;  thy  bounty  is  extended  to  thy  children,  but  they  merit  it 
not.  Miracles  have  been  wrought  in  our  support ;  unheard-of 
deeds  have  been  displayed  that  we  might  be  preserved ;  but 
not  because  of  our  righteousness,  but  only  because  of  thy 
mercy,  which  is  unending.  Ere  we  prayed,  Thou  ever  didst 
answer ;  before  our  thoughts  were  uttered,  Thou  *idst  hear ; 
and  when  affliction's  waves  threatened  to  overwhe\m  us,  thy 
power  stayed  the  destructive  current,  and  we  received  enlarge- 
ment. We  therefore  throw  ourselves  humbly  upon  the  con- 
tinuance of  thy  mercy ;  guard  us,  as  Thou  wert  wont  to  guard  ; 
shield  us  as  Thou  ever  didst  shield ;  preserve  unto  us  the  know- 
ledge of  thy  law,  and  cause  its  precepts  to  speak  a  language 
which  may  find  a  response  in  the  heart  of  every  son  of  man, 
and  especially  of  all  these  young  charges,  whom  thy  servants 
have  assembled  together  in  thy  house,  and  endeavour  to  lead 
unto  the  footstool  of  thy  greatness.  Multiply  the  teachers, 
strengthen  them  in  their  effort,  and  let  their  reward  be,  that  the 
good  they  now  do  may  produce  a  plentiful  harvest  of  righteous- 
ness and  truth. 

And  upon  thy  servant,*  who,  by  Thee  permitted,  has  spoken 

*  Alluding  to  the  Rev.  Moses  N.  Nathan  of  Kingston,  Jamaica,  who  being 
on  a  visit  to  this  country,  was  requested  and  kindly  consented  to  address  the 
congregation  and  children  upon  the  above  occasion.  His  eloquent  address 
was  published  and  extensively  circulated  along  with  the  other  proceedings 
of  that  interesting  meeting. 


268  PRAYER. 

of  thy  goodness  and  thy  law  in  the  distant  isle  of  the  sea,  where 
they,  who,  like  us,  call  on  thy  unity,  have  reared  houses  for  thy 
service,  do  Thou  shed  thy  grace  and  truth,  and  cause  us  to  be 
instructed  and  to  profit  by  the  words  he  will  address  to  us. 
Arm  his  tongue  with  persuasiveness,  that  we  all  may  leave  this 
house  to-day  improved  and  better  than  we  entered.  Bless  his 
labours  for  thy  glory,  wherever  they  may  be  exerted,  and  cause 
him  to  return  to  his  station,  in  the  fellowship  of  the  daughter  of 
Jacob  his  companion,  in  restored  health,  in  renewed  vigour,  and 
increased  usefulness. 

Father  of  all !  we  farther  pray  Thee,  to  let  thy  countenance 
shine  unto  us,  and  unto  all  Israel ;  and  shield  us  by  the  shadow 
of  thy  wings  from  the  many  calamities  we  are  subject  to,  be- 
cause t'-.at  we  are  flesh.  Strengthen  us,  that  when  in  health, 
we  may  overcome  the  evil  of  our  inclinations,  and  that  when 
our  bo  y  is  racked  by  pain,  we  may  be  prepared  to  resign 
cheerfully  our  spirit  into  thy  hands,  O  our  King !  Let  thy  grace 
and  thy  holy  spirit  be  ever  with  us ;  remember  the  captivity  of 
Jacob,  and  forsake  not  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and  suffer  not  the 
gentiles  to  devour  them,  lest  they  say,  Where  is  their  God  ? 
Preserve  unto  us  also  the  blessing  of  freedom  which  we  enjoy 
in  this  land,  and  grant  that  a  spirit  of  pure  benevolence  may 
become  universal  toward  thy  people  in  every  country  of  their 
dispersion.  But  above  all,  fulfil  unto  us  the  promise  made  to  us 
through  thy  prophet,  who  spoke :  "  As  for  me,  this  is  my  cove- 
nant with  them,  saith  the  Lord,  my  spirit  which  is  upon  thee. 
and  my  words  which  I  have  put  in  thy  mouth  shall  not  depart 
from  thy  mouth,  nor  from  the  mouth  of  thy  children,  nor  from 
the  mouth  of  thy  children's  children,  saith  the  Lord,  from 
henceforth,  and  for  ever." — May  this  be  thy  will.  Amen. 

Veadar  24th 
March  29th 


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